Injured female Veterans’ experiences with community reintegration: a qualitative study

Abstract: Introduction: Reintegration back into civilian life post-deployment can be difficult for military Veterans, particularly those who have physical and psychological injuries. Research indicates that male and female Veterans may experience reintegration differently as a result of their deployment experiences and gender-specific social role expectations. Limited research specific to female Veterans’ reintegration experiences exists in the empirical literature. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand community reintegration experiences among injured female Veterans. Methods: Phenomenology guided the data collection and analysis. NVivo was used to aid in organization and analysis of the data. An iterative clustering process was used to identify meaning units, resulting in categories and themes that best represented the participants’ experiences. Bracketing procedures were used to account for researcher bias. Results: Three categories and multiple themes emerged from the qualitative analysis: category 1, community reintegration meaning; category 2, perception of community reintegration, which had three themes – (1) reintegration is harder than expected, (2) reintegration is a process, and (3) reintegration involves finding a new normal – and category 3, women’s experience post-deployment, which had four themes – (1) society’s misguided perceptions of women in the military, (2) readjusted or redefined roles and responsibilities as a woman, (3) lingering effects of military sexual trauma, and (4) lack of female-specific services. Discussion: This study suggests a need for female-specific programs within US Department of Veterans Affairs and civilian-based organizations providing services to Veterans. In addition, allied health professionals are encouraged to assess community reintegration to allow for more individualized, long-term transition plans for female Veterans reintegrating into civilian life.