Understanding the experience of military retirement transition and U.S. female Veterans’ sense of identity

Abstract: Occupation constitutes a central component of a person’s identity. Retirement from the workforce is a significant life event, impacting one’s sense of self and identity. Military retirement is a difficult period of transition, forcing veterans to separate from the military and reintegrate back into civilian society, facing challenges related to identity and role confusion. Female veterans face additional difficulties, such as negotiating their female traits and role in society. Reintegrating into civilian life requires a renegotiation of these traits and identification with their preservice identity and roles. Female veterans may experience unwelcoming behaviors from their civilian counterparts, leading to disconnection and social discomfort. This phenomenological study aimed to examine the experience of female veterans after retirement from a career in the military. The study participants included ten female veterans who had a minimum of eight years of service and who separated at least one year before the time of conducting the study. Identity theory was used as a theoretical framework. Data collected through semi-structured interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis to develop themes for each research question. The findings indicated that female veterans experience difficulties navigating the military-civilian transition and redefining their identity, which contribute to adverse mental health outcomes. Themes identified concerning identity include feeling lost, dissatisfaction with opportunities in the civilian world, and dissatisfaction with traditional gender roles. Themes were also identified related to concerns for mental health and gender-based disparities in navigating the civilian world. The results of this study have clinical and practical implications, including normalizing transition stress and developing more programs directed at female-specific concerns. This study’s findings could benefit clinicians' conceptualization of female veterans’ difficulties following transition, leading to better patient care and connection to services. In addition, this study may provide more detail about perceived limitations in current transition programs and resources meant to benefit individuals approaching transition.

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