Browsing by Subject "Veterans"

Now showing 1 - 17 of 17

Female veterans face complex transition, high unemployment
(2015-05) Kulshrestha, Kritika Pramod; Todd, Russell; Rivas-Rodriguez, Maggie
Julie Puzan left Falls City, Texas, to join the Air Force in September 2003 as soon as she completed high school. Over the next six years, she was deployed to Guam twice as a weapons loader. In 2009 she left the service. That’s when things got tough. When she mustered out, she knew she needed help getting back in civilian life. She just didn’t know where to get it. Eventually she navigated the maze of assistance programs for vets and began putting her life together. Help was out there, but it was hard to find. She also realized that a flood of female vets was coming home to assistance that had been designed for men. Lots of programs dealt with problems like combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder, but few were out there to treat the aftermath of sexual assaults and other challenges faced by females. Puzan is among 2.3 million female veterans in or entering the American work force after America's recent series of wars. The economy hasn't been good at absorbing these veterans. The V.A. and other veterans organizations are beginning to reach out to female vets, but find themselves behind the curve given the fast growth of the population they serve. As long as that's true, female vets will have to look hard to find the help they need in a system designed for males.
From battlegrounds to the backcountry : the intersection of masculinity and outward bound programming on psychosocial functioning for male military veterans
(2014-08) Scheinfeld, David Emmanuel; Rochlen, Aaron B.
This study investigates the promise of using therapeutic adventure as an alternative therapeutic approach to address a public health issue: Veterans reticence towards seeking mental health assistance, despite their rising rates of mental health issues. To examine how the intersection between conformity to traditional masculine norms and Outward Bound for Veterans (OB4V) programming impacted psychosocial development, a quasi-experimental, longitudinal design was implemented on 159 male Veterans. The primary goals were twofold: 1) to determine whether improvement in six therapeutic outcome variables occurred due to the OB4V intervention; 2) to discover whether male Veterans’ level of conformity to traditional masculine norms influenced change in the therapeutic outcome variables. Outcome variables included: 1) mental health status; 2) personal growth initiative; 3) attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help; 4) psychological mindedness; 5) restriction of emotions; 6) subjective wellbeing. Results indicated a significant effect of treatment, suggesting that the OB4V treatment promoted Veterans improvement in all the therapeutic outcome variables, except psychological mindedness. Findings also showed that the significant effect of treatment was associated with Veterans’ improvement in therapeutic outcome variables over all time points irrespective of their level of conformity to traditional masculine norms.
From blue star to gold star : the impact of an identity before and after a soldier’s suicide
(2018-01-26) Burleson, Celine Marie; Bailey, Diane E., 1961-; Vaughn, Allen
An individual is comprised of inherent and acquired identity traits. These traits create a fluid identity that is shaped by outside factors, experiences, and social memberships. This identity is crystallized, multi-faceted and ever-changing. Defining characteristics will evolve and create changes to an individual's identity. Soldiers and combat veterans are exposed to a variety of experiences, to include combat, which often changes and defines a new identity for that individual. Recent research reveals the fluidity of an identity for military members transitioning from combat to peace time operations may be a factor regarding the increased numbers of soldier and veteran suicides. Additionally, after a soldier or veteran takes their life, the identity of family members left behind instantly changes, adapting to pressure from internal and external factors. Identities are unique to the individual and the circumstances they have experienced in their lifetime. Understanding how external factors cause an identity to evolve and change will create awareness for soldiers and veterans that are suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and for family members that are left behind to rebuild after the loss of a loved one.
Help wanted, help needed : post 9/11 veterans reintegration into the civilian labor market
(2013-05) Weaver, Courtney Lynn; Heinrich, Carolyn J.; Ferguson, Miguel
Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, military personnel participating in combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq have been plagued by traditional barriers to successful labor market attachment such as health and mental health concerns, employer stigma, and difficulty translating military training and experience to the civilian market, but also by a lagging economy. Veteran status since Vietnam has historically been linked to negative employment outcomes over the life course. Currently, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports an unemployment rate of 9.5% for male Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans, and a 12.1% rate for their female counterparts. Veterans aged 20-24 have a 20.1% unemployment rate, nearly five points higher than that of their civilian peers. To compound the problem, an overly passive labor market policy prevents access to education and training that civilian employers value most. As Veterans continue to separate from the armed forces the United States, employers and policymakers can choose to capitalize on their skills, experience, and willingness to serve, or risk alienating another generation of young service members. This paper addresses five key categories that serve as barriers to successful labor market attachment and summarizes both governmental and private-sector programs designed to assist military personnel in their transition to civilian work. Finally, it provides policy options for remedying the post-9/11 Veterans labor market transition problem through improving service coordination and delivery, deliberately developing human capital through military service, and increasing employer responsibility for skill development and labor market attachment.
The impact of combat-related PTSD on employment
(2010-12) Foster, Michael Ben; Parker, Randall M., 1940-; Schaller, James L.; Reith, Herbert J.; Seay, Penny C.; De La Garza, Denise; Brooks, Gene I.
PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) has impacted veterans of combat throughout history. With current advances in protective combat armor and in combat medical treatment, more and more of the soldiers who would have perished in the battlefield are being saved and returned home. While their physical wounds may heal, the traumatic events experienced on the battlefield continue to impact their personal, social, and vocational lives. This study explores the perceptions of veterans with respect to their vocational stability and the impact that PTSD has had on their vocational functioning. Eleven veterans were selected to participate in this qualitative study. These veterans were all veterans of combat actions ranging from the Vietnam War to the current military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Once selected, these veterans participated in interviews which explored their vocational history, their perceptions of their employment instability, and their perceptions of the impact that PTSD had on their vocational functioning and employment instability. Once the interviews were completed, they were transcribed and analyzed using open coding to identify common themes throughout the data. These themes included behavioral issues, perception of treatment, and their military experiences. Each theme was explored and interpreted to identify how PTSD impacted these participants in maintaining employment instability. Interpretations of the data lead to the conclusion that combat-related PTSD does, as the literature identifies, cause vocational instability. However, the data shows that while the participants did experience vocational instability, it was not because they were typically fired or dismissed from employment, but rather, they quit jobs prior to being fired. The participants were able to identify their triggers and stressors to the point that they simply quit their jobs when these triggers and stressors arose. Thus, much of their vocational instability may possibly have been prevented had they been able to effectively communicate their stressors and triggers to their employers and co-workers. Limitations of the study as well as implications for practice and future research are discussed.
Living with the invisibly wounded: how female partners of male OEF/OIF/OND veterans with PTSD understand their experiences
(2015-12) Farmer, Annie Elizabeth; Ainslie, Ricardo C.; Suizzo, Marie-Anne; Reddick, Richard; Hammond, Ryan; Sanchez, Delida
This study builds on the literature demonstrating systemic effects of PTSD on spouses of military veterans. An interpretive phenomenological approach was utilized for interviewing and analyzing data from twelve female partners of veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn who have PTSD. Half of these women had begun their relationships prior to the veterans’ deployments and half had met their partners after their military service. Seven themes emerged from the analysis of participants’ narratives that captured the confusion, uncertainty, and emotional distress often central to women’s experiences and highlighted their sense of responsibility to their partners, the challenges with trust and intimacy in their relationships, shifts in their identities, and the strategies they used to cope. Noteworthy was the fact that women’s descriptions of listening to veterans’ trauma disclosures did not support the construct of vicarious traumatization as a primary mechanism to explain participants’ distress. Women’s narratives did lend support to the relevance of the theories of ambiguous loss, caregiver burden, and appraisal theory to understanding the heightened psychological distress and relationship distress in this population.
The mediated veteran : how news sources narrate the pain and potential of returning soldiers
(2015-05) Rhidenour, Kayla Beth; Gunn, Joshua, 1973-; Ainslie, Ricardo; Brummett, Barry; Cloud, Dana; Jarvis, Sharon
The “global war on terrorism” has pervaded the social scene following the attacks of September 11, 2001. Although the ripple effects of the wars are continuing to spread across the globe in the various political and foreign policy arenas, the aim of this study is to turn attention to the individuals who bore the battle, have returned home, and now face new challenges. The United States veteran population has experienced an unprecedented increase in numbers as a response to troop withdrawals in Iraq and Afghanistan. Although previous research has considered the potential difficulties veterans face when reintegrating into society, this study goes a step further and investigates how news media sources are called to participate in narrating veteran stories of war and specifically their stories documenting post-traumatic stress disorder. Drawing on a variety of theoretical perspectives and utilizing a multi-methodological approach, this study seeks to answer four central questions: First, how and by what channels do sources enter the news media conversation to comment on the veteran experience? Second, are veterans the main sources narrating their experiences or do other individuals, groups, or organizations speak more often in the news media? Third, what stories circulated and gained traction by narrating the lived experiences of veterans with PTSD? And fourth, what stories did veterans tell about their experiences, and what stories were told about veterans who suffer from PTSD? This study is organized in two distinct parts. Part one employs a quantitative content indexing analysis of four veteran related news media events across various newspaper, broadcast television news, and cable television news outlets in order to determine how sources entered the news media landscape, and who the sources were. Part two turns to examine four dominant news narratives that emerged from the direct quotation and paraphrased remarks gathered from part one’s analyzed news media texts. The study concludes by illustrating the powerful role news media sources play in the news, as well as the stories that emerge to define the lived experiences of veterans who suffer from PTSD.
Meenal McNary Interview
(2021-04-28) Institute for Diversity & Civic Life; Department of Religious Studies
This interview is with Dr. Meenal McNary, a first-generation Indian-American dentist and local activist in Round Rock, TX. Meenal discusses the contrast between the goal of assimilation when she was growing up and the goal of instilling in her children senses of pride in and connection to Indian culture today. She talks about her racial equity work with the local government and Round Rock ISD, in which she advocates for the safety and dignity of Black and Brown children. Meenal also talks about her time serving as a dentist in the US army and the importance of building trusting relationships with her patients.
Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of functional outcomes and psychopathology in OEF/OIF veterans exposed to trauma
(2013-08) Dahm, Katherine Anne; Neff, Kristin
Self-compassion is a psychological construct that involves being open to experiencing one's pain and suffering and directing feelings of kindness inwards during moments of distress. Research has found that high levels of self-compassion are negatively associated with depression, anxiety, rumination, and avoidance, and positively associated with overall quality of life. The present study looked at self-compassion as a predictor of psychopathology and functional outcomes in a sample of trauma-exposed OEF/OIF veterans. Baseline data was used from Project PREDICT from of the Department of Veteran Affairs VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research with Returning War Veterans. The relations among self-compassion, mindfulness, and experiential avoidance were analyzed. Structural equation modeling was used and results found that higher levels of self-compassion and mindfulness predicted lower levels of psychopathology and higher overall functioning. In addition, experiential avoidance partially or fully mediated the association between mindfulness and self-compassion and PTSD symptoms, psychological distress, and functionality. Supplemental regression analyses were also conducted examining the relationship between mindfulness and self-compassion with several outcome variables. Results found that self-compassion significantly contributed to the model predicting acceptance of chronic pain. In addition, mindfulness significantly contributed to the model predicting problematic alcohol use. These findings suggest that inclusion of acceptance-based interventions, specifically self-compassion and mindfulness, may improve emotional distress as well as overall functioning in trauma-exposed combat veterans.
Non-citizen soldiers, veterans, and their families : defense personnel policy and the principles of American politics
(2010-12) Lamm, Jennifer Elizabeth; Leal, David L.; Tulis, Jeffrey K.
This report examines the place of non-citizen soldiers, veterans, and their families in U.S. political and civil life. Historically, military service has allowed marginalized groups to earn their social and political status as equal citizens. Part one of this report explores why, despite this history, recent legislative changes, and a 2002 Executive Order eliminating the legal and bureaucratic barriers to naturalization, less than forty percent of the non-citizen servicemen and women today actually acquire U.S. citizenship while on active duty. Part two examines the political and policy context surrounding a soldier's decisions to naturalize. It suggests that some soldiers may be “undocumented”; they forgo naturalization to protect themselves and their families. Part three discusses the legal, political, and normative implications of current policy. Some practices, such as the deportation of alien veterans, challenge the foundations of the American political order. The place of undocumented soldiers and veterans raises important issues about civic obligation, the cultural narratives that define membership in and service to the state, and the ruling political collations in which these narratives find support.
Opioid-induced respiratory depression risk factor trend analysis and opioid guideline-related risk reduction in the Department of Defense long-term opioid therapy population
(2019-08) Palmrose, Gregory H.; Barner, Jamie C.; Gums, Tyler H.; Wilson, James P.; Roska, Ellen A.
The purpose of this study was to describe the long-term opioid therapy (LOT) patient population in the Department of Defense (DoD). This study described the incidence and prevalence of LOT in the DoD as well as opioid overdose risk factor trends from 2007 to 2017. Additionally, the demographic, geographic, clinical, and service level characteristics were described for the 2017 LOT population, and characteristics associated with high-risk for opioid overdose were evaluated using logistic regression. Risk scores were compared using the Veterans Health Agency (VHA) risk index for overdose or serious opioid-induced respiratory depression (VHA-RIOSORD) and commercially insured health plan (CIP-RIOSORD) to determine agreement of “high-risk” classification between these two scores. Finally, a segmented regression time-series analysis was performed comparing the effect of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)/DoD Management of Opioid Therapy for Chronic Pain guideline on reducing the proportion of DOD LOT patients with MEDD ≥ 90 mg and on the proportion of patients with concomitant benzodiazepines. The incidence of LOT in the DoD increased from 0.25% in 2007 to 0.34% in 2013, then declined to 0.26% in 2017. The period prevalence of LOT increased from 0.45% in 2007 to 0.70% in 2014, then declined to 0.66% in 2017. Risk factors for opioid overdose, including use of long-acting formulation, concomitant antidepressants, having ≥ 4 providers, and RIOSORD > 32 declined over the study period. Of the 21,441 LOT patients in 2017, the majority were female (11,451) and older (54.2±13.7) with 25.7% being classified as high-risk (n = 5,513). Factors associated being in the high-risk group included being associated with the Navy (OR =1.14, 95% CI = 1.06-1.24, p < 0.001) while being the TRICARE sponsor was less likely to be in the high-risk group (OR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.57-0.72, p < 0.001). The VHA- and CIP-RIOSORD classified significantly different patients as high-risk (chi-square = 629.0, p < 0.001). Finally, the time-series analysis showed a significant effect in reducing the slope of the trend line of the proportion of patients with ≥ 90 mg MEDD of both the CDC (β₃ =-0.062, SE = 0.006, p < 0.001) and the DoD guidelines (β₅ = -0.030, SE = 0.009, p < 0.001). The time-series analysis showed a significant effect of the CDC guidelines in reducing the slope of the trend line of the proportion of LOT patients with concomitant benzodiazepines (β₃ =-0.039, SE = 0.007, p < 0.001). This study shows incidence and prevalence of LOT in the DoD is low (<1%). Additionally, trends in incidence and prevalence, as well as trends in risk factors for opioid overdose, are similar to trends reported in the general and VA populations. Also, there are significant differences in the risk identified by using the VHA- and CIP-RIOSORD tools in the LOT population. Finally, the CDC and DoD guidelines had an effect in reducing significant risk factors for overdose in the DoD LOT population
The psychometric properties and clinical utility of the Air Force Post-Deployment Health Reassessment (PDHRA) for airmen with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression
(2011-05) McCarthy, Michael Damian; Thompson, Sanna J.; Springer, David W.; Schwab, Arthur J.; Greene, Roberta R.; Ozanian, Alfred J.
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) (Afghanistan) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) represent one of the longest wartime deployments in the history of the American military. To date, 1.6 million American military members have deployed. Of these, an estimated 300,000 have returned with a mental health condition, such as depression or PTSD. The Department of Defense has established a robust screening program to identify and track deployment-related physical and psychiatric illnesses. The Post-Deployment Health Reassessment (PDHRA) is a primary tool to identify physical and psychiatric risk following a deployment. The PDHRA is a web-based survey, which is administered between 90-180 days after a deployment. This study seeks to evaluate the psychometric properties and clinical utility of the Post-Deployment Health Reassessment (PDHRA) for accurately identifying truama and depression among Airmen following a deployment. Descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used to address separate research aims. Study aims assessed the impact of deployment on military members and the clinical utility and psychometric properties of the Post-Deployment Health Reassessment. Findings suggest that the Post-Deployment Health Reassessment is a useful triage tool to identify trauma and depression among Airmen following deployment. The study makes recommendations for improving the clinical utility and psychometric properties of the Post-Deployment Health Reassessment (PDHRA).
Ramon Mejia Interview
(2022-11-02) Institute for Diversity & Civic Life; Department of Religious Studies
This interview is with Ramon Mejia, a veteran of the Marine Corps and anti-war organizer in Waxahachie, TX. Ramon describes his childhood in Oak Cliff, Dallas, leading up to his decision to join the Marines. He shares about his experience in the military, his deployment in Kuwait and Iraq, and being discharged for his health. He talks about his curiosity about Islam after deployment and his decision to convert. Ramon goes on to describe his work as an educator and organizer. He talks about how his intersecting identities influence the work he does, particularly in the post-9/11 United States.
Recruit, retain, separate, and reward : military pension policy and the American experience
(2014-05) Archuleta, Brandon Jason; Suri, Jeremi
This report is part of a larger dissertation project and examines the American political development of the veterans' pension policy subsystem and its transformation into the military personnel policy subsystem. Despite extensive academic literature on the history of veterans' pensions, no scholar has pursued this research agenda through the lens of the dynamic policy subsystem. This report argues that from the nation's founding through World War II, military pension policy developed by way of an evolving policy subsystem with the help (and hindrance) of elite policy entrepreneurs, interest group lifecycles, bureaucratic consolidation, and legislative reorganization. Further, subsystem actors and institutions leveraged military pensions at various points in American history to recruit, retain, separate, and reward service members. Drawing from the historical record, original archival research, and previous scholarly works, this report makes four significant findings. First, a dynamic policy subsystem emerged in the wake of the Civil War and persisted well into the twentieth century. Second, powerful veterans' interest groups come about in the wake of war, thrive in the policymaking process for a period of time, and slowly fade away making room for new veterans' groups to influence policy. Third, bureaucratic consolidation of disparate governmental agencies handling veterans issues in the post-World War era facilitated bureaucratic innovation and autonomy, ushering in a professional workforce with streamlined processes to ensure veterans services were delivered in a more timely and effective manner. Finally, legislative reorganization in the wake of World War II effectively split veterans' pension policy and military personnel policy into two separate policy subsystems, minimizing the scope of conflict with regard to military personnel policy. This work reveals historical insights for contemporary defense and military policymaking in the post-Iraq/Afghan war era and opens the path for future research agendas exploring the military personnel policy subsystem.
Steven Kling Interview
(2021-11-19) Institute for Diversity & Civic Life; Department of Religious Studies
This interview is with Steven Kling, a US Army veteran and former candidate for the Texas Senate. Steven talks about growing up in conservative settings and developing progressive values along the way, including his values of strength and service. He shares his story of joining Civil Affairs in the US Army at the age of thirty and serving tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq. Steven also talks about running for the Texas Senate and aiding Afghan immigrants during the Fall of Kabul.
Veteran's Odyssey : combat trauma and the long road to treatment (report from VFW Post 6974)
(2011-08) Bicknell, Michael John; DeCesare, Donna; Minutaglio, William
Combat veterans often return from war with psychological as well as physical injuries. Armed service members who are bodily injured routinely go to hospitals for treatment, first at military hospitals and later in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) system. But those with psychological injuries like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often go years, if not a lifetime, without treatment, in large part because the VA denies their claims with dubious justification. Veterans’ service organizations like the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), the American Legion, and others, as well as state and county governments, have knowledgeable service officers whose job is to help guide veterans through the VA system and through the many appeals that are often needed to get treatment and an adequate disability rating that could result in monetary payments. This report tells the story of one VFW post in Burnet, Texas, its veterans, their families, and how their success in getting treatment for PTSD has positively affected their lives. It has also enabled them, as they recover, to help other veterans seek treatment and win compensatory disability ratings too. The report focuses on one Vietnam veteran, who four decades after his discharge from the Army came to be treated for PTSD.
The war at home : a veteran's use of critical design methods for post-deployment reintegration
(2015-05) Perez, Jose Manuel; Catterall, Kate; Sonnenberg, Stephen
Many combat veterans underestimate the on-going traumatic effects of war, effects that eventually surface in civilian life, causing health, relationship and career problems. During a deployment, emotions such as vigilance, anger, and fear are beneficial for the soldier and aide in coping with multiple combat-related adversities. Suppression of emotions that do not assist the soldier or mission during deployment is necessary and becomes habitual as it helps the soldier stay motivated and focused for the duration of the deployment. Post-deployment, the coping mechanisms previously necessary for survival, contribute to the difficulties of reintegration. The problems encountered by veterans can include, but are not limited to: social withdrawal, economic decline, self-medication, and most problematic, suicidal tendencies. As a veteran myself, I began to ask, is there another way to prepare veterans for re-entry to civilian life, to prevent unnecessary hardships and tragedies, educate them in unfamiliar ways, and perhaps contribute to an effective healing process? As a designer I approached these questions, searching for a way to communicate the adversities veterans face from an unexpected angle. Presented here are prototypes, diagrams, and warning systems designed to help veterans 1) be more self-aware and alert to the symptoms of posttraumatic stress and depression, 2) engage the armed forces and the VA in a discussion about innovative and more effective ways to talk about and treat the psychologically damaged soldier, and 3) foster communities to support veterans in their re-entry to civilian life. The objects I designed for my thesis exhibition are not intended to correct a complex problem such as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or moral injury. Instead, they are created as a collection of tools to facilitate difficult conversations, provoke thought, and as an alternative approach to reach combat veterans who are in their own process of reintegration. My work is one method to process the effects of war through a non-destructive practice for those veterans who may not pay attention to the wall of pamphlets or other forms of disseminating information.