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

Godier-McBard, Lauren R.; Gillin, Nicola; Fossey, Matt

doi:10.1111/hsc.13790

Cited by 12 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Another factor to consider with respect to the gender-based difference in treatment may be that female veterans who have experienced gender-based violence and trauma during service feel unwelcomed and uncomfortable in veteran services, due to being surrounded by large groups of men which can lead them to feeling "triggered" (Kehle-Forbes et al, 2017, p. 6). Furthermore, veteran support services in the UK continue to be male dominated by men from previous generations (those who served pre-2000s) who do not understand the unique experiences of female veterans (Godier-McBard et al, 2022). As a result, female veterans reported feeling unheard and unconsidered by support services (Godier-McBard et al, 2022), which reflect further findings of the current study from theme two around experiencing a lack of understanding from professionals when seeking support.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 49%

“…Furthermore, veteran support services in the UK continue to be male dominated by men from previous generations (those who served pre-2000s) who do not understand the unique experiences of female veterans (Godier-McBard et al, 2022). As a result, female veterans reported feeling unheard and unconsidered by support services (Godier-McBard et al, 2022), which reflect further findings of the current study from theme two around experiencing a lack of understanding from professionals when seeking support.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 49%

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Exploring Barriers to Mental Health Treatment in the Female Veteran Population: A Qualitative Study

Graham

Murphy

Hendrikx

2022

Journal of Veterans Studies

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Although female veterans are a growing population, there remains limited research on their unique experiences specifically within the United Kingdom (UK). The limited data available indicates that female veterans are at increased risk of developing mental health disorders following their discharge from the military. However, female veterans make up a small proportion of those seeking mental health treatment. This study is the first qualitative study to explore the barriers faced by UK female veterans in accessing mental health treatment. The sample of the present study took part in a larger cohort study investigating the mental health needs of female veterans. A total of 61 female veterans responded to a qualitative item on the online survey that was investigating barriers they experienced in accessing mental health treatment compared to their male peers. Responses were analysed using thematic analysis to identify key themes in the data. Five key themes were identified: access barriers, lack of understanding from professionals, gender-related discrimination, mental health stigma, and sexual orientation-related discrimination. The current findings suggested that in addition to treatment-seeking barriers experienced more generally in the military, female veterans may face unique barriers to seeking support. With little veteran research focusing solely on the needs of women, further research is needed to better understand the barriers women face in seeking support. Further attention is also required to ensure such findings are practically implemented within veteran-specific and general mental health services.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 49%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 49%

Exploring Barriers to Mental Health Treatment in the Female Veteran Population: A Qualitative Study

Graham

Murphy

Hendrikx

2022

Journal of Veterans Studies

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“…For female veterans, their relationship with militarised masculinity is complicated: on transition, they have to recover a civilian identity and a female identity (West & Antrobus, 2021, p. 7). Female veterans want to be seen as strong, with illness of any sort being seen as weakness (Godier-Mcbard, Gillin, & Fossey, 2021). In our study, Malcolm took pride in Patricia's courage and humour; Gary was concerned Marie was not 'robust' enough.…”

Section: Discussion Of Findingsmentioning

confidence: 71%

The Psychological Effects of Mesothelioma in the UK Military Context From the Carer’s Perspective: A Qualitative Study

Sherborne

Tod

Taylor

2022

Illness, Crisis & Loss

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Mesothelioma is an incurable asbestos-related cancer with a high symptom burden. Its long lead time means cases in the military context tend to be amongst veterans. Research into the lived experience of mesothelioma is sparse. Research shows British veterans and their families are likely to have particular needs accessing health services and support. This study explored the psychological effects of mesothelioma in the UK military context from the carer's perspective. It comprised a secondary data analysis of interview data plus semi-structured interviews with family carers of UK veterans with a mesothelioma diagnosis. Themes developed included ‘ Going the extra mile’; ‘Shifts in previously robust characteristics and roles’; and ‘Needing to know’. Military culture impacted both patients and carers, with participants reporting a reluctance to show weakness. Carers experienced guilt and traumatic stress symptoms. Moral injury was reported relating to carers’ interactions with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the National Health Service (NHS).

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“…Whilst our intention was to highlight the ways in which narratives about overcoming can be problematically masculinized and under-represent women veterans (Godier-McBard et al, 2021), here it was interpreted as playing into the stereotypes propagated by the media. Consequently, we as researchers should be mindful of the language used in a survey context, where terms such as masculinity are understood as qualities associated exclusively with men, and as something out of reach of women (‘therefore weak’).…”

Section: Findings and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘We may have bad days . . . that doesn’t make us killers’: How military veterans perceive contemporary British media representations of military and post-military life

Parry

Pitchford-Hyde

2022

Media, War & Conflict

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Over the last two decades of long wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the media’s attention on military veterans in the UK has been characterized by a series of shifts: from a focus on combat operations; to initiatives to support transition to civilian life; and finally to a largely invisible presence of veteran issues in the mediated public sphere. This article presents findings from an online qualitative survey conducted with British veterans in 2020. The authors’ primary focus is on how veterans express their concerns when asked about varied televised representations of military and post-military experience. How did the respondents perceive differences across television genres (drama, news, reality TV), and how did this affect their engagement? How do they see their veteran identity reflected back at them through popular media culture? There is a growing research interest in ‘veteran studies’ from a range of disciplines, but the relationship between veteran identity and perceptions of (post)-military representations remains largely under-researched, at least in the UK context. One concern is that negative or misleading stereotypes of veterans among publics could hinder their successful reintegration into society, but the authors are interested in how veterans make sense of such representations across popular media culture, how they imagine the ‘general public’ audience in their reflections, and the nature of veteran identity they project within the survey responses. This study finds that anxieties about ‘mad, bad or sad’ stereotypical representations of veterans continue, but the diversity within its findings also reaffirms the importance of not treating veterans as a homogeneous group in research.

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

Cited by 12 publications

References 27 publications

Exploring Barriers to Mental Health Treatment in the Female Veteran Population: A Qualitative Study

Exploring Barriers to Mental Health Treatment in the Female Veteran Population: A Qualitative Study

The Psychological Effects of Mesothelioma in the UK Military Context From the Carer’s Perspective: A Qualitative Study

‘We may have bad days . . . that doesn’t make us killers’: How military veterans perceive contemporary British media representations of military and post-military life

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