scholarly journals Mental health and well-being of LGBT+ Veterans dismissed from the British Armed Forces before January 2000

2021 ◽  
pp. e20210032
Author(s):  
Caroline Paige ◽  
Christina Dodds ◽  
Craig Jones
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Military Family ◽  
Hard Times ◽  
Recovery Pathways ◽  
The Military ◽  
Health And Well Being

Lay Summary Between 1955 and January 2000, the U.K. Armed Forces and Ministry of Defence enforced a ban on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and related (LGBT+) service, dismissing or forcing the immediate retirement of thousands of personnel because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. They fell on hard times and were left isolated and unsupported by the nation they had proudly stood to defend. Although more than 21 years has elapsed since the ban was lifted, little academic literature has explored the ban’s impact on the mental health and well-being of the United Kingdom’s LGBT+ Veteran community. Anecdotal evidence suggests many still endure consequential hardship and mental health struggles and remain isolated from the military family and traditional support services. Fighting With Pride, an LGBT+ military charity launched in January 2020, and Northumbria University’s Veterans and Military Families Research Hub joined in partnership to remedy this by determining mental health and well-being impacts and consequences and identifying recovery pathways. Lived experience narratives must be used to help build support ahead of the publication of any formal findings. Research-based evidence is vital in helping to develop recovery and support policy and in further shaping support services to develop the best possible impact-related outcomes.

scholarly journals Case Studies in the Culture of Professional Football Players and Mental Welfare and Wellbeing

2020 ◽  
pp. 325-329
Author(s):  
Michael Bennett
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Personal Experience ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Football Players ◽  
Professional Football ◽  
The Social ◽  
Health And Well Being

AbstractThis chapter draws on the author’s personal experience together with the findings from his qualitative research, to explore the cultural values driving problems of mental health and well-being among professional footballers. The study makes explicit the way in which players are expected to hide their experiences of being objectified—of being subject to gendered, racialised and other forms of dehumanisation—and denied a legitimate lived experience, an authentic heard voice. The chapter illustrates the importance in values-based practice of knowledge of values gained as in this instance by way of qualitative methods from the social sciences being used to fill out knowledge derived from individual personal experience.

scholarly journals Trialogue Meetings: Engaging Citizens and Fostering Communities of Wellbeing Through Collective Dialogue

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liam Mac Gabhann ◽  
Simon Dunne
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Response ◽  
Discursive Practice ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Health Service Provision ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties ◽  
Mental Health Service Provision ◽  
Health And Well Being

Community-based participatory approaches are widely recognized as valuable methods for improving mental health and well-being by enabling a greater sense of liberty among participants, through the development of equitable policies and practices, which accommodate a range of diverse perspectives. One such approach, “Trialogue Meetings,” has been found to encourage disclosure and dialogue surrounding mental health, facilitate the growth and development of communities in relation to people’s experience of mental health difficulties, service provider and community response. Emerging in the 1990s because of perceived and felt inequitable relations between people with lived experience of mental health difficulties, family members of people with mental health difficulties and professionals providing mental health service provision. This approach has been shown to successfully reduce stigma and discrimination and improve relations between stakeholders in community and mental health care settings. Trialogue Meetings incorporate Open Dialogue methods to allow multiple stakeholder groups to participate in conversations around a given topic and enable the creation of a common language and mutual understanding. Trialogue Meetings have added benefits of allowing individuals to express themselves better, gain a sense of relationality and community with others and address predetermined power hierarchies with prescribed responses to people’s experiences. In this perspective, we present an outline for Trialogue Meetings as a medium for enhancing wellbeing, providing a transformative empowering process for deliberate discursive practice and engaging citizens through sustained collective dialogue.

scholarly journals The Experiences and Views of Service Providers on the Mental Health and Well-Being Services for Syrian Refugees in Coventry and Warwickshire

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleni Anastasiou ◽  
Helen Liebling ◽  
Michelle Webster ◽  
Fiona MacCallum
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Syrian Refugees ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Views And Perceptions ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract. Objectives: Previous literature demonstrated that, even when mental health and psychological support services are available for refugees, there may still be obstacles in accessing services. This is the first known study to explore the experiences of mental-health and well-being services for Syrian refugees in Coventry and Warwickshire, United Kingdom. The research investigates the views and perceptions of service providers on the current mental-health and well-being services provided for this population. Methods: Eight service providers participated in semistructured interviews and focus groups, and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Three main themes emerged from an analysis of the data: “positive aspects of service delivery,” “service challenges,” and “recommendations for service improvements and quality.” Conclusion: The findings bring to the fore specific gaps in current provision and interpreting services. Recommendations for proposed improvements in service provision and policy as well as clinical implications are included in this article.

Adjusting to working away and as an expatriate: learnings on what organisations can do to promote the mental health and well-being of workers and their families

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 440
Author(s):  
Melanie L. Freeman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Work Performance ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Psychosocial Risks ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Building Capability ◽  
The Military ◽  
Health And Well Being

Adjusting to frequent separations and reunions can put pressure on the relationships and families of those who work away. Although the work context is different, there are similar effects and challenges for workers, families and organisations across the military, expatriate and fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) research domains. Mental health, work performance, job satisfaction, relationships and parenting are all negatively affected by the extended periods of deployment or posting and the regular and ongoing shorter periods of FIFO work. At the individual level, personality dimensions (emotional stability, sociability, openness to new experiences), locus of control, intelligence, self-sufficiency and cultural intelligence have been shown to significantly affect these impacts and provide organisations with starting points for both the screening of candidates for roles and coaching them to better adjust and cope cross-culturally. The recruitment and onboarding processes should be underpinned by the principles of managing expectations and building capability, and this means that realistic and relevant information should focus on the realities of the work, the work environment and host country. The onboarding process that seeks to socialise the worker into the organisation and the culture should assume the worker will take at least 6 months to settle into the role. Predeparture training should engage with the worker and their families to ensure the development of coping skills and practical strategies for managing communication, parenting and relationships. Effectively managing the psychosocial risks faced by workers across these domains will improve the mental health and well-being of workers and their families.

scholarly journals Rationale and Methodology of the 2018 Canadian Armed Forces Members and Veterans Mental Health Follow-up Survey (CAFVMHS): A 16-year Follow-up Survey: Raison D’être Et Méthodologie De L’enquête De Suivi Sur La Santé Mentale Des Membres Des Forces Armées Canadiennes Et Des Anciens Combattants, 2018 (ESSMFACM)

2020 ◽  
pp. 070674372097483
Author(s):  
Tracie O. Afifi ◽  
Shay-Lee Bolton ◽  
Natalie Mota ◽  
Ruth Ann Marrie ◽  
Murray B. Stein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Military Personnel ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Canadian Armed Forces ◽  
Statistics Canada ◽  
Health And Well Being

Objective: Knowledge is limited regarding the longitudinal course and predictors of mental health problems, suicide, and physical health outcomes among military and veterans. Statistics Canada, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Manitoba and an international team, conducted the Canadian Armed Forces Members and Veterans Mental Health Follow-Up Survey (CAFVMHS). Herein, we describe the rationale and methods of this important survey. Method: The CAFVMHS is a longitudinal survey design with 2 time points (2002 and 2018). Regular Force military personnel who participated in the first Canadian Community Health Survey Cycle 1.2—Mental Health and Well-Being, Canadian Forces Supplement (CCHS-CFS) in 2002 ( N = 5,155) were reinterviewed in 2018 ( n = 2,941). The World Mental Health Survey–Composite International Diagnostic Interview was used with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition ( DSM-IV) criteria. Results: The CAFVMHS includes 2,941 respondents (66% veterans; 34% active duty) and includes data on mental disorder diagnoses, physical health conditions, substance use, medication use, general health, mental health services, perceived need for care, social support, moral injury, deployment experiences, stress, physical activity, military-related sexual assault, childhood experiences, and military and sociodemographic information. Conclusions: The CAFVMHS provides a unique opportunity to further understand the health and well-being of military personnel in Canada over time to inform intervention and prevention strategies and improve outcomes. The data are available through the Statistics Canada Research Data Centres across Canada and can be used cross-sectionally or be longitudinally linked to the 2002 CCHS-CFS data.

scholarly journals UK veterans’ mental health and well-being before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal cohort study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. e049815
Author(s):  
Marie-Louise Sharp ◽  
Danai Serfioti ◽  
Margaret Jones ◽  
Howard Burdett ◽  
David Pernet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Hazardous Drinking ◽  
Hazardous Alcohol Use ◽  
Hazardous Alcohol ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Health And Well Being

ObjectiveTo investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and well-being of UK ex-service personnel (veterans) before and during the pandemic, and to assess associations of COVID-19 experiences and stressors with mental health, alcohol use and loneliness.DesignAn additional wave of data was collected from a longitudinal cohort study of the UK Armed Forces.SettingOnline survey June–September 2020.ParticipantsCohort members were included if they had completed a questionnaire at phase 3 of the King’s Centre for Military Health Research health and well-being study (2014–2016), had left the Armed Forces after regular service, were living in the UK, had consented to follow-up and provided a valid email address. Invitation emails were sent to N=3547 with a 44% response rate (n=1562).Primary outcome measuresCommon mental health disorders (CMDs) (measured using the General Health Questionnaire, 12 items—cut-off ≥4), hazardous alcohol use (measured using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test, 10 items—cut off ≥8) and loneliness (University of California, Los Angeles, Loneliness Scale— 3 items-cut-off ≥6).ResultsVeterans reported a statistically significant decrease in hazardous drinking of 48.5% to 27.6%, while CMD remained stable (non-statistically significant increase of 24.5% to 26.1%). 27.4% of veterans reported feelings of loneliness. The COVID-19 stressors of reporting difficulties with family/social relationships, boredom and difficulties with health were statistically significantly associated with CMD, hazardous drinking and loneliness, even after adjustment for previous mental health/hazardous alcohol use.ConclusionsOur study suggests a COVID-19 impact on veterans’ mental health, alcohol use and loneliness, particularly for those experiencing difficulties with family relationships. Veterans experienced the pandemic in similar ways to the general population and in some cases may have responded in resilient ways. While stable levels of CMD and reduction in alcohol use are positive, there remains a group of veterans who may need mental health and alcohol treatment services.

scholarly journals Negotiating Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Performing Migrant Domestic Work in Contentious Conditions

2021 ◽  
pp. 000276422110003
Author(s):  
Satveer Kaur-Gill ◽  
Yeo Qin-Liang ◽  
Samira Hassan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Domestic Work ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Domestic Workers ◽  
Structural Context ◽  
Precarious Labor ◽  
Mobile Working ◽  
Health And Well Being

Migrant domestic work is performed in precariously im(mobile) working conditions that mark the subaltern body in a state of constant lived experience with and in strife. In Singapore, the structural context of hire amplifies conditions of servitude, indebtedness, and subalternity that have implications for mental health. This study documents mental health narratives by migrant domestic workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, registering how mental health is negotiated amid dissension in the performance of precarious labor. While functional employment structures enabled and empowered well-being, dysfunctional structures disrupted mental health meanings, creating layers of constant contention for domestic workers to broker, limiting opportunities for mental health and well-being. Narratives gathered indicate systemic mental health precarities tied to workplace dysfunctions.

Military families: the impacts of having a first child during service on military mothers

2021 ◽  
pp. bmjmilitary-2021-001928
Author(s):  
Charlotte Williamson ◽  
J Baumann ◽  
D Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Military Service ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
First Child ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Military ◽  
Health And Well Being

IntroductionThe rights, roles and responsibilities of servicewomen in the UK Armed Forces has changed dramatically over time. Previously, service personnel were automatically discharged from the military if they became pregnant. As the percentage of servicewomen in the UK Armed Forces increases, having children during service is becoming more common and maternity policies are now in place. Having children during military service can impact on the health and well-being of servicewomen, including a greater risk of illness when returning to work.MethodsA cross-sectional, self-report survey was used for data collection. The response rate was approximately 45%. Female Army veterans were recruited via a female military association. The survey collected data on parental status, the timing of their first child (during or after service), and several current mental and physical health and well-being outcomes.ResultsOf the 750 female Army veterans who completed the survey, 406 reported having children. Of those with children, 14.5% had their first child during service compared with 85.5% after service. The most frequently endorsed health outcomes were low social support, loneliness and common mental health difficulties. Participants who had their first child during military service were more likely to have left the service non-voluntarily.ConclusionsThis study provided insight into the impacts of having a first child during military service on servicewomen. Overall, female Army veterans who had their first child during service had poorer outcomes, including leaving service non-voluntarily. However, none of the health or well-being outcomes remained significant after adjusting the results. This study explored a widely under researched population and field of research. Future research should seek to expand on our findings and continue to explore the impacts of having a first child during military service for military mothers.

scholarly journals Religious and Spiritual Struggles among Military Veterans in a Residential Gambling Treatment Program

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian A Gutierrez ◽  
Heather Chapman ◽  
Joshua B. Grubbs ◽  
Jennifer T. Grant
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Treatment Program ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
Gamblers Anonymous ◽  
Spiritual Struggles ◽  
Gambling Treatment ◽  
Health And Well Being

Veterans of the U. S. Armed Forces are at greater risk for engaging in problem gambling and meeting diagnostic criteria for Gambling Disorder (GD) than are non-veterans. For veterans and non-veterans alike, religious/spiritual beliefs and practices support recovery from addiction and bolster mental health and well-being. Moreover, religious/spiritual ideas pervade Gamblers Anonymous (GA), which remains the predominant community-based treatment modality for GD. However, research has increasingly highlighted the negative impact of religious/spiritual struggles—i.e., conflicts, tensions, or problems associated with aspects of religious/spiritual life—on mental health and well-being. To date, no research has examined the role of religious/spiritual struggles in GD. The current study aimed to fill that gap in the literature by assessing the prevalence and impact of religious/spiritual struggles among U.S. veterans (N = 157) admitted to a residential treatment program for GD. Findings showed that a majority of veterans in the gambling treatment program endorsed each of six types of religious/spiritual struggles assessed. Moral struggles were the most prevalent, severe, and unremitting of the religious/spiritual struggles assessed. Findings highlight the need for clinicians and chaplains working with problem gamblers to address religious/spiritual struggles generally, and moral struggles most specifically, in treatment of GD.

scholarly journals MILITARY FAMILY READINESS: THE IMPORTANCE OF BUILDING FAMILIAL RESILIENCE AND INCREASING FAMILY WELL-BEING THROUGH MILITARY COMMUNITY SUPPORT AND SERVICES

2020 ◽  
pp. 89-100
Author(s):  
DONABELLE HESS
Keyword(s):  
Support Services ◽  
Community Support ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Military Family ◽  
Protective Measures ◽  
Military Community ◽  
Family Readiness ◽  
State Programs ◽  
Social Support Systems

Zveza Nato zajema različno večnacionalno okolje in najrazličnejše sisteme socialne podpore, saj večina družin nima na voljo infrastrukturne podpore, ki so je vajene. Družinam ob napotitvi v Natovo bazo prilagajanje na vojaško življenje, raznovrstnost kultur in jezik države gostiteljice zato pomeni izziv. Podpora in storitve vojaške skupnosti so lahko za vojaške družine še posebno koristne, saj je med napotitvami, ločenim življenjem in selitvami potreba po taki podpori večja. Namen prispevka je pripraviti pregled literature in poudariti pomen podpore skupnosti, storitev ter državnih programov, ki spodbujajo odpornost družine med življenjem v tujini, in kako se lahko ti zaščitni ukrepi uporabljajo za vse družine oboroženih sil. Ključne besede Odpornost, dobrobit, vojaška družina, podpora skupnosti, centri za podporo družinam, podporni programi in storitve. NATO encompasses a diverse multinational environment and wide-ranging social support systems as most families do not have the normal infrastructure support they are used to. Assignment to a NATO base presents a challenge as families navigate military life, a diverse culture and language of the host nation. Military community support and services may be particularly beneficial for military families due to the increased need of such support during deployments, separations, and relocations. The goal of this article is to review the existing literature and highlight the importance of community support, services, and state programs that foster family resilience while stationed overseas; and how these protective measures may be applied to all the families of the armed forces. Key words Resilience, well-being, military family, community support, family support center, support services and programs.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document