Well-being of Canadian Armed Forces Veterans and Spouses of Veterans During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Protocol for a Prospective Longitudinal Survey

Abstract

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant changes to everyday life, including social distancing mandates, changes to health care, and a heightened risk of infection. Previous research has shown that Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) veterans are at higher risk of developing mental and physical health conditions. Veterans and their families may face unique social challenges that can compound with pandemic-related disruptions to negatively impact well-being. Objective This study aims to longitudinally characterize the mental health of CAF veterans and spouses of CAF veterans throughout the pandemic and to understand the dynamic influences of pandemic-related stressors on psychological health over time. Methods We employed a prospective longitudinal panel design using an online data collection platform. Study participation was open to all CAF veterans and spouses of CAF veterans residing in Canada. Participants were asked to complete a comprehensive battery of assessments representing psychological well-being, chronic pain, health care access patterns, physical environment, employment, social integration, and adjustment to pandemic-related lifestyle changes. Follow-up assessments were conducted every 3 months over an 18-month period. This study was approved by the Western University Health Sciences and Lawson Health Research Institute Research Ethics Boards. Results Baseline data were collected between July 2020 and February 2021. There were 3 population segments that participated in the study: 1047 veterans, 366 spouses of veterans, and 125 veterans who are also spouses of veterans completed baseline data collection. As of November 2021, data collection is ongoing, with participants completing the 9- or 12-month follow-up surveys depending on their date of self-enrollment. Data collection across all time points will be complete in September 2022. Conclusions This longitudinal survey is unique in its comprehensive assessment of domains relevant to veterans and spouses of veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic, ranging from occupational, demographic, social, mental, and physical domains, to perceptions and experiences with health care treatments and access. The results of this study will be used to inform policy for veteran and veteran family support, and to best prepare for similar emergencies should they occur in the future. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/34984

Development of a data-driven digital phenotype profile of distress experience of healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic

“…Given the sporadic distribution of labels, the utilization of clustering techniques to group the Brief MIOS scores would be optimal for effective data processing and classification. As mentioned previously, the Brief MIOS is yet to have established severity cut-off scores [17] , [44] , therefore clustering was necessary to group the participants’ Brief MIOS scores. During the clustering phase, we used -means clustering.…”

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health and well-being of Veterans’ spouses: a cross sectional analysis

“…A national longitudinal online survey was distributed across Canada to English- and French-speaking CAF Veterans and spouses/partners of Veterans (see Forchuk et al [ 22 ] for specifics around study design). Participants were recruited using professional networks, social media advertisements, participant recruitment websites, press releases, Veteran community and advocacy groups, and word of mouth.…”

“…Participants were not offered remuneration for study participation. The spousal baseline data drawn from this large longitudinal study [ 22 ] serves as the data source for the current study. Results from a previous study of Veterans using identical sampling methods [ 12 ] found that 77% of Veterans reported being married/in a relationship.…”

Telehealth experiences in Canadian veterans: associations, strengths and barriers to care during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Data were drawn from the primary baseline data of a longitudinal survey examining the psychological functioning of Canadian veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic 25. For further details on methodology, please see Forchuk et al 25.…”

“…Data were drawn from the primary baseline data of a longitudinal survey examining the psychological functioning of Canadian veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic 25. For further details on methodology, please see Forchuk et al 25. Data from those who identified as Canadian veterans (ie, had served in the Canadian Armed Forces and had released prior to survey completion) who completed the baseline survey (from July 2020 to February 2021) were included in the present study.…”