Christina Hejl, Christina Burns, Janiya Cherry, Areon Bradford, Yvette Z. Szabo
{"title":"Understanding Differences Between Veterans and Civilians on a Range of Biopsychological Domains: Descriptive Report from the MIDUS II Study","authors":"Christina Hejl, Christina Burns, Janiya Cherry, Areon Bradford, Yvette Z. Szabo","doi":"10.21061/jvs.v9i1.405","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21061/jvs.v9i1.405","url":null,"abstract":"A growing amount of literature has documented differences between United States (US) veterans of the armed services and civilians in mental and physical health outcomes. However, less is known about the correlates of these outcomes, and most studies have used samples of veterans receiving US Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) healthcare only. Using a nationally recruited sample from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) II study, we examined stress exposure, mental health symptoms, and common vulnerability factors (inflammation, trauma history, emotion regulation) across veterans and civilians. The present study included data from the baseline psychosocial timepoint (Project 1), the Milwaukee subsample ( n = 4,633), and the biomarker study (Project 4; n = 1,099). We found that veterans reported greater stressful and traumatic life events but fewer mental health symptoms compared to civilians. Further, analyses suggested some differences based on a history of combat or probability of using VA healthcare, with higher levels of depression among combat veterans and more head injury among those likely to use VA healthcare. Results suggest some variability in inflammatory markers but few differences in emotion regulation or health characteristics. The present study was limited by minimal available data on military service. Future research is needed on veterans outside of VA healthcare, with attention to characteristics such as the branch of service, rank, and unit cohesion. The goal of this line of research is to better understand factors that may be addressed in prevention and intervention efforts in service of best caring for those who have sacrificed for military service.","PeriodicalId":93327,"journal":{"name":"Journal of veterans studies","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67756258","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Do I Stand?","authors":"Sieara Washington","doi":"10.21061/jvs.v9i2.372","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21061/jvs.v9i2.372","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":93327,"journal":{"name":"Journal of veterans studies","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67756845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Court Actors’ Perceptions of Barriers to Veterans’ Treatment Court Participation","authors":"Delilah Moore","doi":"10.21061/jvs.v9i3.460","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21061/jvs.v9i3.460","url":null,"abstract":"Veterans’ treatment courts (VTCs) are problem-solving courts created to address the specific treatment needs of veteran defendants. Despite the favorable results of studies on the efficacy of VTCs to reduce recidivism, participation is voluntary, and not all eligible candidates elect to participate. The purpose of this study was to discover why defendants choose to opt out. A qualitative study was designed to learn from VTC coordinators, prosecuting attorneys","PeriodicalId":93327,"journal":{"name":"Journal of veterans studies","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67757473","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Beyond PTSD: A Multi-Case Study Exploring Identity, Moral Injury, and Spiritual Injury","authors":"Jan Grimell, Hazel R. Atuel","doi":"10.21061/jvs.v9i3.436","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21061/jvs.v9i3.436","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":93327,"journal":{"name":"Journal of veterans studies","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67757870","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Safe Haven","authors":"Christy L. Amacker","doi":"10.21061/jvs.v9i3.506","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21061/jvs.v9i3.506","url":null,"abstract":"The 2020 documentary film Safe Haven, features interviews with war resisters and deserters from the Vietnam Conflict, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the Canadian War Resister’s Support Campaign, a group of sympathetic Canadians who assist Americans who choose to flee to Canada rather than remain in the United States Armed Forces. The documentary tackles the moral tension individuals suffer when faced with going to war versus requesting safe haven in Canada and leaving all they know in the United States behind, coupled with the support and assistance—perhaps in contravention of Canadian law—offered by Canadian civilians. Incorporating evidence from the interviews as a platform for those who had been living in hiding and fear of deportation and incarceration, the documentarians support safe haven opportunities in Canada for Americans seeking to leave their military obligations behind. As this review concludes, the film is relevant for those interested in US/Canadian relations, international politics, and wartime asylum.","PeriodicalId":93327,"journal":{"name":"Journal of veterans studies","volume":"16 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136371590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Exploring the Experiences of Australian Veterans with Accessing Healthcare: A Qualitative Study","authors":"M. Ross, Emina Prguda, J. Setchell","doi":"10.21061/jvs.v9i1.399","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21061/jvs.v9i1.399","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":93327,"journal":{"name":"Journal of veterans studies","volume":"30 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67756187","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The “Transition” to Civilian Life From the Perspective of Former Serving Australian Defence Force Members","authors":"Nathan C. Kerr, S. Lane, R. Plotnikoff, S. Ashby","doi":"10.21061/jvs.v9i1.407","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21061/jvs.v9i1.407","url":null,"abstract":"It is well recognised that the transition from the military to civilian life can create challenges. This study explores the multiple and dynamic experiences former serving Australian Defence Force members report in their transition to civilian life. A narrative inquiry methodology with two rounds of interviews was used to collect the data from 12 former serving Australian Defence Force members. Narrative thematic analysis was used to interpret the data. Our results indicate that transition for each participant is a unique experience that continues in the years following separation. For those who joined in early adulthood and served in high-tempo and/or combat roles, transitioning was complicated by military identity challenges. Their ongoing transition was related to the need to develop an individual civilian identity for civil society, challenged by the development of a collective identity as a member of the Australian Defence Force. We conclude that transition is the process of identifying as an individual following a collective identity","PeriodicalId":93327,"journal":{"name":"Journal of veterans studies","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67756318","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Qualitative Systematic Review of Enablers and Barriers to HelpSeeking for Veterans that have Completely Left the Military Within the Context of Mental Health and Alcohol","authors":"C. Hitch, Paul Toner, C. Armour","doi":"10.21061/jvs.v9i1.376","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21061/jvs.v9i1.376","url":null,"abstract":"The variation in the definition of a veteran, and the preference for quantitative methods, has created mixed findings regarding the process of veteran help-seeking (HS) for mental health/alcohol issues. To understand HS enablers/barriers for those having ceased military employment, a systematic review of qualitative HS literature is warranted. Six databases were searched. Data were analysed thematically. From 1,154 titles/abstracts screened, six studies elicited four themes: military culture, problem severity, the system","PeriodicalId":93327,"journal":{"name":"Journal of veterans studies","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67756596","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}