'Treat everyone like they're a man': Stakeholder perspectives on the provision of health and social care support for female veterans in the UK.

International research suggests that female veterans may experience gender-specific barriers to accessing veteran-specific care. This is the first UK study to report an exploratory qualitative investigation of the provision of health and social care support for female veterans and whether this support meets their needs. The research team carried out 13 virtual semi-structured interviews between October and November 2020, with representatives from statutory and third sector organisations that provide support to UK female veterans. Ethical approval was obtained from the Anglia Ruskin University School of Education and Social Care Research Ethics Committee. The authors identified four overarching themes and nine sub-themes in a thematic analysis following the framework outlined by Braun and Clarke (2006). The findings of this study suggest that practitioners from statutory and third sector organisations perceive the UK veteran support sector as male-dominated and male-targeted, with a lack of consideration for female veterans' needs. Participants reported a lack of engagement with veteran-specific services by female veterans and suggested that women either do not identify with the 'veteran' label or do not feel comfortable accessing male-dominated veteran-specific services. The need for specific services for female veterans split participant opinion, with most of those who were female veterans themselves highlighting the importance of 'safe spaces' for women, particularly those who had experienced gender-based violence during military service. Others felt that the veteran support sector currently lacked evidence of women's unique support needs, and an examination of current provision was required. The authors recommend a thorough assessment of UK female veterans' health and social care needs, alongside development of training and guidance for health and social care professionals, to ensure that veteran services are adequately developed, tailored and targeted with women's needs in mind.

Changes in the health and broader well-being of U.S. veterans in the first three years after leaving military service: Overall trends and group differences.

OBJECTIVES: Scholars have theorized that the initial period after military discharge may be a particularly vulnerable time for veterans. Yet, several recent studies raise the prospect that risk for poor adjustment may actually increase rather than decrease over time. The current study examined whether the U.S. military veteran population experiences improvements or declines in their health and broader well-being during the first three years after leaving military service and documented differences based on gender, military rank, and warzone deployment history. METHODS: A population-based sample of 3733 newly separated veterans completed a survey within three months of separation (Fall 2016), followed by five additional surveys at six-month intervals. Weighted multilevel logistic regressions were conducted to examine changes in the proportion of veterans reporting good health and broader well-being over time. RESULTS: Most aspects of veterans' health and broader well-being worsened over time, with a noteworthy increase in reporting of mental health conditions and a decline in veterans' community involvement. Declines in the proportion of veterans reporting good health and well-being were most notable for women, with smaller differences observed for other subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: The finding that veterans experienced worsening health and broader well-being over time highlights the need for enhanced prevention and early intervention efforts to mitigate these declines. Findings also point to the importance of attending to the unique readjustment concerns of female veterans and other at-risk subgroups.