Identifying psychological outcomes in families of Five Eyes alliance armed forces Veterans: A systematic review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Identifying psychological outcomes in families of Five Eyes alliance armed forces Veterans

T2 - A systematic review

AU - Armour, Cherie

AU - Spikol, Eric

AU - McGlinchey, Emily

AU - Gribble, Rachael

AU - Fear, Nicola

AU - Murphy, Dominic

N1 - Funding Information: Nicola T. Fear is funded by a grant from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and works on projects funded by the MoD and Office for Veterans’ Affairs. She is also a trustee of a charity supporting Veterans and their families. Dominic Murphy is a trustee for the Forces in Mind Trust. Funding Information: Th is article received funding from Forces in Mind Trust (Project name: Understanding the psychosocial determinants of psychological health and well-being for Veteran families in the UK [FiMT / EO1901]) Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.

PY - 2022/2

Y1 - 2022/2

N2 - Introduction: The psychological effects of military service and lifestyle are not confined to individual service members, as there are also potential consequences for the mental health and well-being of military family members. Adult children and intimate partners of ex-service members can share this risk but may be overlooked both as potential research populations and in the planning of policy and outreach/treatment programs. This systematic review aimed to identify the psychological health outcomes of partners and adult children of ex-service members in Five Eyes alliance countries: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and the United States. Methods: Search protocols were used in aggregate databases and related journals for peer-reviewed literature. A total of 24 studies met inclusion criteria (n = 18 quantitative, n = 6 qualitative). Quantitative studies were summarized by narrative synthesis and qualitative data were analyzed using a descriptive-interpretive approach. Results: Intimate partners had higher prevalence rates of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than population norms and were more likely to suffer distress because of the Veteran's mental health issues. Adult children were at increased risk for anxiety, depression, alcohol/substance misuse, and PTSD compared to population norms. Four themes were identified from the qualitative data: personal feelings and internal emotions, Veteran-oriented, help and support, and acting as a unit. Discussion: There are substantial gaps in the literature regarding the mental health and well-being of intimate partners and adult children of ex-service members in Five Eyes alliance countries. Future research is needed to address psychological outcomes among families after leaving the military.

AB - Introduction: The psychological effects of military service and lifestyle are not confined to individual service members, as there are also potential consequences for the mental health and well-being of military family members. Adult children and intimate partners of ex-service members can share this risk but may be overlooked both as potential research populations and in the planning of policy and outreach/treatment programs. This systematic review aimed to identify the psychological health outcomes of partners and adult children of ex-service members in Five Eyes alliance countries: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and the United States. Methods: Search protocols were used in aggregate databases and related journals for peer-reviewed literature. A total of 24 studies met inclusion criteria (n = 18 quantitative, n = 6 qualitative). Quantitative studies were summarized by narrative synthesis and qualitative data were analyzed using a descriptive-interpretive approach. Results: Intimate partners had higher prevalence rates of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than population norms and were more likely to suffer distress because of the Veteran's mental health issues. Adult children were at increased risk for anxiety, depression, alcohol/substance misuse, and PTSD compared to population norms. Four themes were identified from the qualitative data: personal feelings and internal emotions, Veteran-oriented, help and support, and acting as a unit. Discussion: There are substantial gaps in the literature regarding the mental health and well-being of intimate partners and adult children of ex-service members in Five Eyes alliance countries. Future research is needed to address psychological outcomes among families after leaving the military.

KW - adult children

KW - Australia

KW - Canada

KW - Five Eyes

KW - mental health

KW - military

KW - military family

KW - New Zealand

KW - psychological outcomes

KW - PTSD

KW - United Kingdom

KW - United States

KW - Veterans

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85126304471&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3138/JMVFH-2021-0025

DO - 10.3138/JMVFH-2021-0025

M3 - Review article

AN - SCOPUS:85126304471

SN - 2368-7924

VL - 8

SP - 7

EP - 27

JO - Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health

JF - Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health

IS - 1

ER -