Gender in Veteran Reintegration and Transition: a Scoping Review
Abstract: This article presents the results of a scoping review of Canadian and international literature on gender and Veteran reintegration and transition. The scoping review yielded 178 articles, which were organized thematically according to issues impacting Veterans' transition to civilian life and by their approach to gender. There has been an upswing in gender research on Veterans, with 100 of the 178 articles published between 2000 and 2015. Most of the research articles, largely quantitative studies, are related to health issues (n=108), discussing mental and physical health outcomes and health services use. There is much less gender-related research being conducted on socio-economic themes (n=25) of Veterans' homelessness, employment, and education. Military sexual trauma (MST) represents the second most common topic (n=45) researched in the reviewed literature, and appeared primarily in the context of health research and, to a lesser extent, in relation to socio-economic issues. Lack of clarity on the use of the term “Veteran” and lack of explicit engagement with military-to-civilian transition in the reviewed literature pose challenges. Furthermore, the lack of qualitative research, social sciences research, and Canadian research represent major gaps in the literature. We recommend that the impact of military and civilian gender norms and gendered power dynamics be considered in relation to female, male, and LGBTQ Veterans across transition stages and across health and socio-economic dimensions in future research and programming.
Abstract: Background: Exposure to potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs) during military service can lead to moral injury (MI) outcomes and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). This longitudinal study examined the relationships between PMIE exposure, MI outcomes, and PTSS among Israeli combat veterans, and the potential protective role of dispositional forgiveness in these associations. Method: Participants were 169 Israeli combat veterans who participated in a six-year longitudinal study with four measurement points (T1: 12 months before enlistment, T2: Six months following enlistment- pre-deployment, T3: 18 months following enlistment- post-deployment, and T4: 28 months following discharge). Participants’ characteristics were assessed via semi-structured interviews (T1) and validated self-report measures (T2-T4) between 2019-2024. Results: Approximately 36% of participants reported exposure to PMIEs during service, with 13% exceeding the clinical threshold for probable PTSD at T4. PMIE-Betrayal at T3 was positively associated with MI outcomes of shame and trust violation at T4. The indirect effect of PMIEs on PTSS through MI outcome-Shame depended on forgiveness levels. Among veterans with low forgiveness, higher exposure to PMIE-Betrayal was associated with increased MI shame, which was linked to more severe PTSS. Conversely, for those with high forgiveness, exposure to PMIE-Self and Other was associated with decreased MI shame and subsequently reduced PTSS. Conclusion: Dispositional forgiveness moderates the relationship between PMIE exposure and MI outcomes, particularly shame, which mediates the development of PTSS. These findings highlight forgiveness as a potential target for intervention in treating moral injury and preventing PTSS among combat veterans.