Reintegration and decent work among United States Veterans: Impact of marginalization, social support, and career adaptability

Abstract:United States military veterans face challenges when reintegrating into civilian society. Among these difficulties often exist barriers for veterans in navigating work and career experiences. This study tested factors that may contribute to experiences of decent work and reintegration in a sample of 90 United States veterans. Utilizing the Psychology of Working Theory as a framework, veterans' social support was hypothesized to be a moderating factor in the relationship between veterans' experiences of marginalization and decent work. Additionally, decent work was examined as a potential mediator in the association between veterans' career adaptability and reintegration. Separate moderation and mediation models were tested to examine the study's hypotheses. Results did not find social support to moderate the relationship between marginalization and decent work. However, decent work significantly and partially mediated the relationship between career adaptability and reintegration. Interpretation of these findings in the context of the literature is discussed, as well as implications for practice and theory, limitations, and future directions.

Read the full article
Report a problem with this article

Related articles

  • More for Researchers

    The perceptions and experiences of United States military leaders regarding training strategies on the stigma and high rates of suicide in the United States military: A descriptive study

    Abstract:Stigma and high rates of suicide continue to increase in the United States military without strategic training regarding leaders' perceptions and experiences. The problem addressed in this study was the stigma and high rates of suicide in the United States Military. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to identify training strategies for military leaders to support service members at risk of suicide. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory was the guide for this theoretical framework. The sample of this study is armed forces personnel who have held the title of a military leader (E-8 and above; O-4 and above), which resulted in a purposeful sampling technique used to recruit 6 to 12 veterans, totaling 306 years of experience. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews and a focus group. The Zoom recording feature was used, and the recordings were transcribed. All data analyses were organized and categorized using manual coding and NVivo software. Moustakas' seven-step thematic analysis also identified emerging themes and patterns. Several key themes emerged from the interviews: combat-level suicide awareness training, leadership and cultural shifts, education and emotional intelligence, medical and specialized training, and concerns about senior leadership and support. The implications are recognized suicide attitudes and distorted thinking, recognize suicide behaviors, mental illness, and personal/ professional beliefs, advanced suicide awareness and mental health education, military mental health care resources, and combat-level technical development. The recommended contributions to this practice are to investigate the unclear outcome of first-term military members failing to seek mental health resources, to identify training strategies for first-term military members to support service members at risk of suicide, and to evaluate the pre- and post-impact of new virtual reality (VR) goggles on suicide awareness programs in participatory programs that are randomly selected.

    Mental Health