The Veteran Family Study

Project Team

Principle Investigators: Prof Cherie Armour (Queen’s University Belfast), Professor Nicola Fear (King’s College London)

GCU Lead: Dr Kareena McAloney-Kocaman (kareena.mcaloney@gcu.ac.uk)

Co-Investigators: Dr Rachel Gribble (King’s College London), Professor Dominic Murphy (Combat Stress), Dr Neil Kitchiner (NHS Cardiff and Vale and University of Cardiff), Matt Fossey (Anglia Ruskin University)

Funder: Forces in Mind Trust

Dates: Ongoing

Background

The psychological determinants of psychological health and wellbeing of veteran families across the UK is an under-researched area; particularly when compared to the volume of research that has focused on the health and wellbeing of serving and ex-service personnel of the UK Armed Forces. The aim of this study is to explore the health and well-being of this population, and to condut comparative analysis on the basis of geography and other relevant factors that can be used by both policy makers and service providers to improve the support available to veteran families.

The specific objectives are to:

• Identify the psychological health and wellbeing needs of veteran families
• Identify the drivers that support psychological health and wellbeing in the face of the challenges that come with being the partner/child of a veteran
• Examine the relationship between the family members’ psychological health and wellbeing and that of the ex-serving person
• Understand the contribution of the local community on the families’ health and wellbeing
• Identify the support accessed, any barriers to accessing support, and views on the quality of that support
• Identify the likely future needs of veteran families

Study Design

The study has five work packages. Work package one  is a systematic review of  the current literature on the psychosocial determinants of veteran family health. Work package 2 will incorporate a review of existing support services available to veteran families. Work package 3 is a quantitative survey to examine the psychosocial determinants of health and wellbeing for veteran families in the UK and work package 4 qualitative interviews with family members of veterans. Work package 5 runs alongside the other 4 packages as PPI groups (Troop groups) to assist in the co-creation of and dissemination of the research.