Veteran Adjustment to Civilian Life version 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Influence of Psychosocial Factors in Veteran Adjustment to Civilian Life
IRAS ID
188582
Contact name
Margaret Bowes
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Edinburgh
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 1 months, 28 days
Research summary
This thesis will explore factors that influence how ex-service personnel, or veterans, adjust to civilian life after leaving the Armed Forces. There are 400,000 veterans living in Scotland and approximately 1,800 veterans leave the forces each year to join the civilian community (Scottish Government,2015). Research shows that some veterans struggle to adjust to civilian life and can experience serious difficulties (Forces in Mind Trust, 2013). These difficulties include mental health issues and research shows that veterans have an increased risk of developing mental health problems. However, those who could benefit from mental health treatment, do not seek help. Research indicates that barriers to seeking treatment include negative attitudes towards mental health, stigma and self-stigma (Iversen et al. 2011). This thesis will explore the relationships between these potential barriers and veteran adjustment and quality of life. It will also explore the degree to which veterans adapt to the changing demands of civilian life (“psychological flexibility”) and the strategies used to cope with unwanted thoughts or emotions (“emotion regulation”), and how these relate to veteran adjustment and quality of life. The findings will help to improve our understanding of why some veterans find it hard to cope with civilian life. This knowledge could help to improve the support that mental health services provide for veterans.
Invited to take part in this study will be veterans in Scotland who served in the Armed Forces between 2001 and 2016, either in the Regular or Reserve military and who left the military between 2001 and 2016.
The study will be conducted across various sites, including at veteran organisations and also a specialist veteran service, Veterans First Point Scotland (V1P), which has branches across Scotland. Participants will have the option to complete either a paper questionnaire or an online questionnaire. This will take approximately 20-30 minutes.
REC name
West of Scotland REC 4
REC reference
16/WS/0008
Date of REC Opinion
14 Jan 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion