Contracted through the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research
With this study we wanted to better understand how releasing Canadian Armed Forces members experience the transition from military to civilian life over time. We interviewed 80 military members who were expected to release within six months, and then were able to follow up with 72 of these participants six to 12 months after they released from service. The participants in our study were releasing from the military for a variety of reasons—medical, service completed, and voluntary. Release types did not neatly map onto the lived experiences of service members. Health concerns were not limited to those who were medically releasing. Those releasing voluntarily or because of completed service described workplace issues, family priorities, a desire to move on from the military lifestyle, and/or an opportunity for civilian employment as the catalyst for release. Many participants shared a mix of negative and positive emotions about their upcoming release and transition. Having a sense of control seemed central to participants’ pre-release state of mind and was often linked to both their type of release and their ability to prepare. Some participants expressed negative emotions including shock, fear of the unknown, and a sense of overwhelm; others conveyed positive emotions such as excitement, optimism, and hope for the next phase of their lives.
Prior to release, participants were able to deploy a number of strategies to manage pre-release steps and develop post-release plans. Those able to access relevant information, plan in advance, enjoy a sense of identity apart from military life, and seek social support as needed reported a sense of feeling well-prepared to transition. In contrast, participants reported more challenges when they felt unfamiliar with civilian life, perceived low institutional support during release, found themselves short of time to prepare, or struggled to let go of military life, a variety of potentially converging factors that amplified challenges to access support. These challenges were further complicated when participants contended with health issues and/or reported lower levels of confidence and certainty with their preparation. Moreover, a variety of factors—from finances, health, identity, bureaucratic hurdles, and family circumstances—affected the release process, shaping participants’ overall pre-release experience. Through a variety of formal and informal channels, participants accessed supports and services to prepare for transition. While many of the supports and services that participants had accessed prior to release were regarded as helpful, some issues were also articulated, including a challenging bureaucratic process coupled with inadequate time and inclusion of family.
Six to 12 months after release, participants described a wide variety of experiences and personal circumstances. While the type of release had an impact on how life after release unfolded, participants’ sense of agency and control appears to have had a substantial impact on how individuals regard the transition experience, including their preparation for release and progress in achieving their goals in life after service. Regardless of the nature of the transition circumstances, participants experienced military-to-civilian transition as a major life event that continues to elicit a range and combination of emotions. While few participants reported an entirely smooth course through transition that mapped onto their plans and expectations, those who had perceived their transition to be generally positive seemed to have had the opportunity to develop and enact a broader array of strategies to prepare for the release. Participants described visions for the future that were, for some, as yet unclear and, for others, clear and focused. Depending upon an individual’s unique situation, participants shared their progress in working through the transition-related processes and in adapting to their new circumstances.
No single factor prevailed as key determinant of participants’ mental health and well-being during transition. Rather, multiple factors such as financial well-being, health, family, social connection, sense of identity, and engagement in purposeful activities were highly interdependent and ranged across a broad spectrum of possibilities. Participants continued to access supports and services through a variety of formal and informal means available to them. Individuals often shared some form of “culture shock” as they adjusted to new systems of health and workforce. The volume and complexity of administrative tasks that accompany the release process were commonly described as overwhelming, an experience that was further complicated by health issues and service-related injuries. Participants shared their desire for more person-centred transition supports available at multiple points across the transition.
While the findings apply to both the men and women in our study, the large number of women participants in our study also highlight sex- and gender-specific challenges experienced during transition. At both time points, 28 percent of the participants identified as women, half of which were expecting a medical release. Similar to the men, many of the women in our study had spent much of their lives in the military, and thus their identities were closely tied to the military with implications for their transition to civilian life. For women with or without a medical release, health—both physical and mental—was a priority area during their transition. Some women in our study reported an improvement of mental health and well-being as a result of their release and an end to a difficult and in some cases toxic work environment. Others encountered new mental and physical health challenges post-release. Considerably more women than men reported being single, and a smaller percentage of women was married compared to men. This pattern has consequences for servicewomen as they transition to civilian life—they may be less likely to have the financial and emotional support of a spouse during their transition. Some were themselves supporting a military or transitioning spouse. Women in the study were less likely to have a high family income and more likely to have a lower family income, which relates to the considerably higher proportion of women who reported to be single. A similar proportion of women and men released medically, but fewer women than men had accessed services through VAC. This reflects a broader gendered trend in the utilization of veteran benefits and services. As with the larger sample of study participants, many of the women in our study expressed lack of clarity about eligibility criteria, challenges with navigating the MCT bureaucracy, and difficulty securing needed health care services. These findings highlight the need to integrate a sex and gender lens into research on the transition from military to civilian life as well as the need for more in-depth and focused study of the transition experiences of women Veterans in Canada.
Source
Funded by: Veterans Affairs Canada
Report Prepared by: Maya Eichler, Heidi Cramm, Linna Tam-Seto, Kimberley Smith-Evans, & Kimberly Ritchie
Contributors: Deborah Norris, Ashley Williams, Shannon Hill, Alyson Mahar, Megan Edgelow, Dave Blackburn, & Fanny Robichaud