Civic Service as an Intervention to Promote Psychosocial Health and Implications for Mental Health in Post-9/11/01 Era Women Veterans

Abstract: Women veterans experience significant morbidity with poorer health and mental health outcomes relative to nonveteran counterparts. Little is known about how to best promote health and well-being among reintegrating female veterans. Civic service has been shown to improve mental health in civilians, but its impact on female veterans is unknown. This study characterizes the physical and mental health and psychosocial functioning of female veterans and evaluates changes in these domains following completion of an intensive civic service program. Information was obtained from an observational, pre-post cohort study of post-9/11/01 era veterans who completed a 6-month, 20-hour per week civic service program. Of the 346 participants, 107 were women. Participants completed online pre- and post-program surveys. Nine measures of health, mental health, and psychosocial functioning were analyzed. Before starting the program, 47% of women screened positive for a probable diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 24% for depression, and 51% reported seeking assistance for mental health problems. Pre to post change scores indicated significant improvements on nine measures of health, mental health, and psychosocial functioning. Civic service has the potential to promote and support the maintenance of psychosocial well-being for returning post-9/11/01 era women veterans with symptoms of PTSD or depression.