Bereaved Military Families: Relationships and Identity

McGill, Gill; Mann, Emily; Moreland, Mary; Osborne, Alison; Kiernan, Matthew D.; Wilson, Gemma

doi:10.1080/15325024.2022.2127678

Cited by 1 publication

(4 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Within all these studies, only perceived social support was explicitly considered. These findings support the limited previous research which found that whilst bereavement could change pre-existing family and friend relationships, support provided through these networks could be invaluable [24]. However, further research is needed to directly identify the role of received and perceived social support.…”

Section: Plos Onesupporting

confidence: 84%

“…Previous research has highlighted how intrinsic and extrinsic factors related to military service impact social isolation and/or loneliness [7][8][9]12]. Whilst the literature included in this review suggested there was a loss of the military community following bereavement, McGill et al [23,24] found that, whilst this occurs in some cases, others valued maintaining the military connections. This is an important consideration for service provsion, in recognising that Military Widow/ers may have different experiences of loneliness and social isolation to the wider population.…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Within the United Kingdom there are 12,348 War Widow/ers in receipt of a war widows' pension [13], however, the actual number of War/Military Widows in the UK, not receiving a war widows' pension, is far greater, and the true size of this population is unknown. For the purposes of this scoping review, the term Military Widow/ers will be used, and is defined as "the recognised partner of the personnel who died in service or veteran who died following military service" (P64) [14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Of the limited research in this area, McGill et al [23,24] explored the long-term impact of receiving the 'knock on the door', finding that familial relationships and friendships, as well as connections to the military, changed following bereavement. Whilst there were some challenges, the participants valued support from family and friends (particularly those from the military), and also sought out peer support groups to develop new connections.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Understanding evidence and provision of services around social isolation and loneliness of military widow/ers: A scoping review

Johnson,

Moreland,

Kiernan

et al. 2023

PLoS ONE

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Background Whilst the uniqueness of loneliness and social isolation is now recognised for members of the Armed Forces Community, there is currently a lack of evidence examining these experiences within the Military Widow/er population. Therefore, this scoping review aimed to search and synthesise the current evidence base exploring experiences of loneliness and social isolation in this community. Method Six databases were searched; ASSIA; CINAHL; ProQuest Dissertation & Theses Global; PsycArticles; Medline; Web of Science. Any article type was included if they focused on UK or international Military Widows and loneliness and social isolation. In the absence of loneliness and social isolation, related aspects were included, for example, social support. Results A thematic synthesis was completed on the nine eligible papers, where key findings were coded and generated into four themes; Experiences of Loneliness and Social Isolation, The Uniqueness of the Military, Access to Social Support, and The Importance of Peer Support. Conclusions Evidence supports the need for military-specific support services with peers who recognise the individuals’ unique experiences of loneliness and social isolation. None of the available evidence focused specifically on social isolation, however this was often prevalent in the results. All of the studies were carried out in the USA and Israel, with none including the views of widowers. Further evidence is required, particularly relating to a UK-context.

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Section: Plos Onesupporting

confidence: 84%