Factors Influencing the Salience of Military/Veteran Identity Post Discharge: A Scoping Review
Abstract: Military/veteran identity is defined as the prominence of past military service, beliefs, and norms on an individual’s post-military sense of self. The salience of this identity has been suggested to be a significant factor in how successful individuals transition to civilian life. However, the current body of research on what factors affect this identity is disparate. The aim of this scoping review was to evaluate the current research on the factors affecting the salience of military/veteran identity post discharge, i.e., the likelihood of individuals identifying as ex-military or veteran in a given situation/context. A review of the literature was conducted across PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, SAGE Journals (Journal of Armed Forces & Society), and Medline using the keywords (Identit* OR Self-concept* OR “Sense of self”) and (Military OR Veteran* OR Soldier OR Army OR Forces) and (Discharge* OR Reintegration OR Transition*). An evaluation of the results led to 20 articles. Thirteen factors were extracted to form a Military/Veteran Identity Salience (MIS) model. Professionals are recommended to explore military/veteran identity using these 13 factors as guides, rather than assuming that their military/veteran identity is prominent for an individual. Further, additional quantitative research is recommended to evaluate how reliable/valid these factors are across a wider ex-military demographic, such as in other NATO countries aside from the US/UK.
Abstract: Objective: The present study is a retrospective quasi-experimental study to evaluate the effectiveness of the Warrior PATHH (WP) program at improving posttraumatic growth (PTG) outcomes and reducing PTSD symptoms compared to a waitlist control among a sample of Veterans. Method: Participants (n = 164) were U.S. military Veterans with a history of trauma. Participants were either undergoing the Warrior PATHH program or a waitlist. Primary outcome measures were administered at baseline and at 90-day follow-up and consisted of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory – Expanded (PTGI-X) and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). Secondary outcome measures assessed psychosocial functioning and included measures of depression and anxiety symptoms, sleep, wellbeing, and social support. Results: Significant differences were observed between groups on the PTGI-X (F(1, 205) = 23.667, p < .001, partial η2 = 0.103), and the PCL-5 (F(1, 205) = 262.460, p < .001, partial η2 = 0.561) with the WP group showing significant positive psychological change following a traumatic event as measured by the PTGI-X and decreased PTSD symptoms as measured by the PCL-5 compared to those in the waitlist condition. Those in the treatment arm also demonstrated gains to psychosocial functioning. Conclusions: Consistent with previous research, participants in the Warrior PATHH program exhibited significant increases in PTG outcomes, decreased PTSD symptoms, and broad improvements to psychosocial functioning. These findings suggest it is an effective training program to foster PTG outcomes among Veterans. This study is unique as it is the first to compare the effects of WP programming with a sample of waitlisted Veterans.