Abstract:Â This report examines the transition that female Service Leavers (SLs) make from the Armed Forces into civilian paid employment. Despite the fact that anecdotal evidence suggests that female SLs are highly valued by civilian employers, they have a lower employment rate (69 per cent) than male SLs (81 per cent), and a higher economic inactivity rate (20 per cent compared with 9 per cent for males), while their employment outcomes are mixed; higher proportions of female SLs, for example, enter professional occupations and caring, leisure and other service occupations. As the reasons behind this discrepancy were not known, the Forces in Mind Trust commissioned Cranfield University and the Institute for Employment Studies to carry out research to understand why economic inactivity is lower, and employment outcomes are currently less successful, for female compared to male SLs. This report presents the findings from the research study, along with conclusions and recommendations.
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.