Music workshops as a pathway to community engagement for military veterans

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-340
Author(s):  
Niyati Dhokai
Keyword(s):  
Community Engagement ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Military Veterans ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Civilian Life ◽  
Post Injury ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Arts Engagement ◽  
The Impact

For military veterans who are integrating into civilian community settings after military service, community engagement often involves the negotiation of post-injury needs, the consideration of new roles within the family and community social structures and the transition from military to civilian life. Community-based music programmes can provide opportunities to explore new social relationships with family, friends and community members and reinforce a sense of well-being as well as inform facilitators about the different learning and health needs, particularly those leading to social isolation, of veterans and their families that may affect adherence and retention during the workshop series. This article examines the impact of participating in community-based guitar workshops using ethnographic observation, surveys and interviews with veteran participants. Longitudinal ethnographic information offers valuable insight to plan long-term arts engagement as veterans and their families transition to new communities and continue to utilize the arts as a way to provide positive peer-to-peer support.

Music workshops as a pathway to community engagement for military veterans

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niyati Dhokai
Keyword(s):  
Community Engagement ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Military Veterans ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Civilian Life ◽  
Community Members ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Arts Engagement ◽  
The Impact

For military veterans who are integrating into civilian community settings after military service, community engagement often involves the negotiation of postinjury needs, the consideration of new roles within the family and community social structures and the transition from military to civilian life. Communitybased music programmes can provide opportunities to explore new social relationships with family, friends and community members and reinforce a sense of well-being as well as inform facilitators about the different learning and health needs, particularly those leading to social isolation, of veterans and their families that may affect adherence and retention during the workshop series. This article examines the impact of participating in community-based guitar workshops using ethnographic observation, surveys and interviews with veteran participants. Longitudinal ethnographic information offers valuable insight to plan long-term arts engagement as veterans and their families transition to new communities and continue to utilize the arts as a way to provide positive peer-to-peer support.

scholarly journals Social Isolation Among Older Military Veterans

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 540-540
Author(s):  
Kirsten Laha-Walsh ◽  
Zainab Suntai
Keyword(s):  
Social Isolation ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Military Veterans ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Critical Issue ◽  
The United States ◽  
Civilian Life ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Socially Isolated

Abstract Social isolation is an increasingly critical issue among older adults and has been found to affect several domains of well-being, including physical, psychological, and cognitive health. Research has found that military veterans often experience hardships in the transition back to civilian life including emotional trauma, depression, substance misuse and pain from combat-related injuries, which have been shown to persist well into older adulthood. As such, this study aimed to examine the prevalence of social isolation among older military veterans and determine which veterans are most at-risk of experiencing social isolation, using the Berkman-Syme Social Network Index as a framework. Data were derived from Round 1 of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), an annual longitudinal panel survey of adults aged 65 and older living in the United States. Results showed that about 4.5% of veterans in the NHATS are severely socially isolated while another 20.9% are socially isolated. After controlling for other explanatory variables, being White, being 85 and older, having lower educational attainment, being unmarried/unpartnered and having lower income were associated with an increased risk of experiencing social isolation. Interventions aiming to improve the well-being of older veterans should consider employing both preventative and amendatory measures. These may include the creation and administration of a standardized social isolation scale during visits to veterans’ affairs (VA) medical centers and a general effort to address stressors from military service by destigmatizing and improving access to mental health services.

scholarly journals Thank You for Hearing My Voice – Listening to Women Combat Veterans in the United States and Israeli Militaries

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shir Daphna-Tekoah ◽  
Ayelet Harel-Shalev ◽  
Ilan Harpaz-Rotem
Keyword(s):  
Narrative Analysis ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Military Veterans ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Female Veterans ◽  
Civilian Life ◽  
The Military ◽  
Female Soldiers ◽  
Combat Soldiers

The military service of combat soldiers may pose many threats to their well being and often take a toll on body and mind, influencing the physical and emotional make-up of combatants and veterans. The current study aims to enhance our knowledge about the combat experiences and the challenges that female soldiers face both during and after their service. The study is based on qualitative methods and narrative analysis of in-depth semi-structured personal interviews with twenty military veterans. It aims to analyze the narratives of American and Israeli female combat soldiers regarding their military service, with emphasis on the soldiers’ descriptions, in their own words, about their difficulties, challenges, coping and successes during their service and transition to civilian life. A recurring theme in the interviews with the veterans of both militaries was the need to be heard and the fact that societies, therapists, and military institutions do not always truly listen to female veterans’ experiences and are not really interested in what actually ails them. Our research suggests that conventional methods used in research relating to veterans might at times be inadequate, because the inherent categorization might abstract, pathologize, and fragment a wide array of soldiers’ modes of post-combat being. Moreover, female veterans’ voices will not be fully heard unless we allow them to be active participants in generating knowledge about themselves.

scholarly journals Veteran Status Matters! Life Course Perspectives on the Health and Well-Being of Aging Veterans

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 636-636
Author(s):  
Avron Spiro
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Vietnam Veterans ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Combat Veterans ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Veterans Health ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Veteran Status ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Military service during early life can result in exposure to traumatic events that can reverberate throughout life. Although much attention is focused on the negative effects of military service, many veterans report positive effects. These papers explore life course effects of military service on veterans’ health and well-being. Three used national US longitudinal cohorts (HRS, MIDUS); two sampled veterans from Oregon or from Korea. Three compared veterans to non-veterans; two examined veterans only. Cheng and colleagues found that veterans in HRS are more likely to be risk-averse than non-veterans. Risk aversion matters because it determines how people make decisions and predicts a wide array of health and economic outcomes. Kurth and colleagues examined Oregon veterans from several wars, finding PTSD symptoms were highest among Vietnam combat veterans, the oldest cohort; there were no differences among non-combat veterans. Piazza and colleagues examined in MIDUS the impact of veteran status on cortisol, a stress biomarker, finding older veterans more likely had non-normative patterns than did younger or non-veterans. Lee and colleagues studied patterns of mental health among Korean Vietnam veterans, identifying two patterns as ‘normal’ and ‘resilient’ encompassing half the sample; these veterans demonstrated positive outcomes of military service. Frochen and colleagues compared depression trajectories between veterans and non-veterans in HRS, finding veterans had less depression than non-veterans, but among veterans, trajectories varied based on extent of service. in sum, these papers demonstrate that military service can have positive as well as negative effects on veterans’ health and well-being in later life. Aging Veterans: Effects of Military Service across the Life Course Interest Group Sponsored Symposium.

Military Serving at What Cost? The Effects of Parental Service on the Well-Being Our Youngest Military Members

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicia Gill Rossiter ◽  
Rita D'Aoust ◽  
Michaela R. Shafer
Keyword(s):  
Military Service ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Service Members ◽  
Veterans Administration ◽  
Military Children ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
Military Members ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
Multiple Deployments ◽  
The Impact

Since the onset of war in Iraq and Afghanistan in April 2002, much attention has been given to the effect of war on servicemen and servicewomen who have now been serving in combat for over thirteen years, the longest sustained war in American history. Many service members have served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and suffered from the visible and invisible wounds of war. Much work has been done in the Veterans Administration, the Department of Defense, and the civilian sector after observing the effects of multiple deployments and overall military service on the service member. A survey of the literature revealed that the ethics of conducting research on programs to assist these brave men and women is fraught with ethical concerns based on a military culture that often precludes autonomy and privacy. While strides have been made in developing strategies to assist service members deal with their military service issues, a serious lack of information exists on the impact of a parent's service on the health and well-being of military children. A discussion of current research on services for children is presented with an analysis of the ethical problems that have precluded adequate study of those who need society's help the most.

scholarly journals Ageing, limb-loss and military veterans: a systematic review of the literature

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (8) ◽  
pp. 1582-1610 ◽  
Author(s):  
NICK CADDICK ◽  
HELEN CULLEN ◽  
AMANDA CLARKE ◽  
MATT FOSSEY ◽  
MICHAEL HILL ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Military Veterans ◽  
Limb Loss ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Long Term Impact ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTThe impact of losing a limb in military service extends well beyond initial recovery and rehabilitation, with long-term consequences and challenges requiring health-care commitments across the lifecourse. This paper presents a systematic review of the current state of knowledge regarding the long-term impact of ageing and limb-loss in military veterans. Key databases were systematically searched including: ASSIA, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Medline, Web of Science, PsycArticles/PsychInfo, ProQuest Psychology and ProQuest Sociology Journals, and SPORTSDiscus. Empirical studies which focused on the long-term impact of limb-loss and/or health-care requirements in veterans were included. The search process revealed 30 papers relevant for inclusion. These papers focused broadly on four themes: (a) long-term health outcomes, prosthetics use and quality of life; (b) long-term psycho-social adaptation and coping with limb-loss; (c) disability and identity; and (d) estimating the long-term costs of care and prosthetic provision. Findings present a compelling case for ensuring the long-term care needs and costs of rehabilitation for older limbless veterans are met. A dearth of information on the lived experience of limb-loss and the needs of veterans’ families calls for further research to address these important issues.

Mental Health Outcomes of Peer-led Therapeutic Adventure for Military Veterans

2021 ◽  
pp. 105382592110495
Author(s):  
Joanna Ellen Bettmann ◽  
Ileana Anderson ◽  
Joe Makouske ◽  
Adam Hanley
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Military Veterans ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Group Model ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Community Based Interventions ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Adventure Program

Background: Skepticism of therapy and stigma are significant barriers for veterans with mental health issues. Therapeutic adventure shows promise in addressing veterans’ mental health needs while circumventing the stigma many veterans face in initiating treatment. Purpose: Given the small group model of therapeutic adventure programs, such programs may be ideal to provide social support for veterans and reduce mental health symptomology. The present study investigated: can a brief peer-led therapeutic adventure program modify veterans’ mental health symptoms? Methodology/Approach: The study's sample included 56 participants attending one Sierra Club Military Outdoors trip lasting at least three days and two nights and involving camping. Participants completed study measurements assessing depression, anxiety, stress, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms, substance misuse symptoms, and suicidality at pre-trip, post-trip, one-month post trip, six-months post trip, and 12-months post trip. Six-month and 12-month post-trip data was collected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings/Conclusions: Results indicated significant reduction in mental health symptomology from pre-trip to post-trip, but showed few longer-term changes in mental health symptomology. Implications: The present study's findings are consistent with research suggesting improvements in overall psychological well-being immediately following a nature-based intervention and suggest the need for on-going, community-based interventions to support optimally military veterans’ mental health.

scholarly journals The impact of fathers’ military deployment on child adjustment. The support needs of primary school children and their families separated during active military service: A pilot study

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 110-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Pexton ◽  
Jacqui Farrants ◽  
William Yule
Keyword(s):  
Parental Stress ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Child Adjustment ◽  
Military Training ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Military Deployment ◽  
Adjustment Difficulties ◽  
The Impact

Background: Although direct exposure to war-related trauma negatively impacts children’s psychological well-being, little is known about this impact within the context of parental military deployment to a combat zone and ‘indirect’ experience of the effects of armed conflict. This study investigates the impact of father’s military deployment to Afghanistan on child well-being in primary schoolchildren and compares measures of adjustment with a matched group of children with fathers deployed on military training (non-combat) deployment. Method: Data were collected within primary schools in 2011–2012 from 52 children aged 8–11 years with fathers deploying to Afghanistan ( n = 26) and fathers deploying on military training ( n = 26) via self-completion of questionnaires assessing symptoms of anxiety, depression, stress and levels of self-esteem. Data were collected in both groups, at pre-, mid- and post-parental deployment. Class teachers and parents (non-deployed) completed a measure of child behaviour and parents completed a measure of parenting stress and general health. Results: Unexpectedly child adjustment difficulties were not significantly raised in children whose parents deployed to Afghanistan. Ratings of behavioural difficulties and depression were low in both groups. However, clinically elevated levels of anxiety and stress symptoms were reported by both groups of children at each stage of deployment. No associations between parental stress, parental mental health and child adjustment were found. Conclusion: High levels of children’s anxiety and stress reported during fathers’ active military service warrant further investigation. Implications for school and health monitoring and CAMHS community liaison work are discussed.

Effects of Perceived Public Regard on the Well-Being of Military Veterans

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 291-304
Author(s):  
Fred E. Markowitz ◽  
Sara M. Kintzle ◽  
Carl A. Castro ◽  
Steven L. Lancaster
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Military Veterans ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Public Understanding ◽  
Civilian Life ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Public Regard

Many military veterans face considerable challenges reintegrating into civilian life. Evidence suggests the general public holds conflicting attitudes toward veterans. This study examines how perceived public attitudes play a role in veterans’ mental health and well-being. Drawing from and extending interactionist theories of self-concept, stigma, and mental health recovery, we develop and estimate models for the relationships between internalized public attitudes toward veterans (perceived public regard), military identity–related self-worth (private regard), and well-being (depression, self-efficacy, and life satisfaction). Using survey data from the Chicagoland Veterans Study, we found that perceived public regard is negatively related to depression and positively related to self-efficacy and life satisfaction. The relationship between public regard and self-efficacy is fully mediated by private regard, and a significant part of the relationship between perceived public regard and both depression and life satisfaction is mediated by private regard. The study suggests avenues for extending theory and research related to military identity and public understanding of veterans as well as other groups where there may be conflicting public sentiment toward them.

The impact of parental military service on child well-being

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (S2) ◽  
pp. 29-69
Author(s):  
Helen Blamey ◽  
Ava Phillips ◽  
Donabelle C. Hess ◽  
Nicola T. Fear
Keyword(s):  
Military Service ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Impact
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document