Citation

Keller EM, Owens GP, Perkins M, Hamrick LA. J. Clin. Psychol. (Hoboken) 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/jclp.22959

PMID

32394435

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: After combat, veterans may experience mental health symptomology and attempt to make meaning from their experiences. The present study qualitatively examined the mental health effects of deployment and meaning-making among Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) or Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) veterans.

METHOD: OIF/OEF veterans who were exposed to combat (N = 14) participated in semi-structured interviews to assess how their perspectives had changed post-deployment. Most participants (86%) were male, with a mean age of 30.

RESULTS: Veterans described issues post-combat that caused psychological distress or promoted distancing from others. Veterans also discussed factors that could promote or hinder meaning-making, including perceptions of growth, changed global beliefs, and disillusionment. Finally, veterans described psychological reactions to death, which could be related to moral injury.

CONCLUSION: Mental health concerns, meaning-making, and consideration of mortality appear to characterize veterans' experiences post-deployment. These constructs may be important for clinicians to consider when working with OIF/OEF veterans.

© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Language: en

Keywords

combat exposure; meaning-making; mental health; military veterans; moral injury