Improving Service Family Engagement with the Transition to Civilian Life: Insights and Behaviour Change Interventions

While most individuals achieve the transition to civilian life smoothly, some face significant challenges. Although numerous support services are available to those who need them, most do not always engage. Previous research has pointed to a wealth of potential reasons for disengagement, such as limited readiness, lack of awareness of available 
support, and an oversaturated support ecosystem.

FiMT’s initial hypothesis was that partners and families, including dependent children, experience the challenges of transition in distinct ways, shaped by systemic barriers rather than a lack of willingness to engage. Previous evidence suggested that awareness and understanding of transition-related support among families is often limited because information is primarily focused on the Serving person, communicated in technical or military language, and not tailored to Non-Serving partners. These issues can be compounded by information overload, inaccessible communication channels, and a lack of direct engagement with partners, as well as limited recognition of families as individuals in their own right. As a result, partners and children may be underprepared for the impacts of transition, contributing to lower and later engagement with support, despite the importance of family involvement in successful outcomes.

Effective communication is crucial to ensure that Service leavers and their families can access the information and resources they need, yet evidence shows that many, particularly Non-Serving partners, do not receive, recognise, or engage with Armed Forces communications, still less with transition-focused communications.