The Invisible Man: Male Veterans share their Lived Experience of Military Sexual Trauma in the British Armed Forces

Abstract: The overall aim of this study was to obtain detailed information that illustrated the lived experience of male veterans that had been victims/survivors of MSA & MST. As mentioned earlier, research regarding adult male sexual assault within a military setting is nonexistent in the UK with limited research available in the United States. The research that does exist focuses on prevalence rates and does little to describe the impact of MST on Male survivors, the differences between male and female survivors or potential treatment approaches. Research focused predominantly on female survivors suggests that MST is linked to a whole host of detrimental outcomes including increased rates of PTSD, mental/physical health problems, suicide attempts and decreased quality of life with a difficulty in adjusting to civilian life. In examining mental health diagnoses of all veterans with a positive MST screening, Kimerling found that women with a positive MST screening were most likely to be diagnosed with PTSD, dissociative disorders, eating disorders, and personality disorders, whereas men were most likely to be diagnosed with suicidal behaviour, personality disorders, PTSD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and military conduct problems, dissociative and bipolar disorders