Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Employment Situation Of Veterans: April 2024, Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

Veteran employment trends and statistics among various demographics during April 2024.

The U.S. Military Does Not Adequately Prepare Members For Transition From Service, Emily Graham

Population Health Research Brief Series

Nearly 250,000 U.S. military members transition out of service each year. The Transition Assistance Program (TAP) provides information, tools, and training to prepare service members for their transition to civilian life. However, nearly half of veterans say the military did not adequately prepare them for their transition from service. This issue brief highlights the shortcomings of veteran transition programs, like TAP, and provides recommendations for improving transition outcomes through more holistic programs.

Addressing Untimely Healthcare Access Of Veterans Receiving Care Through The Veteran Healthcare Administration (Vha), Frank Lunetta, Jamie Stern, Lila Mcnamee

School of Professional Studies

The Veteran Healthcare Administration (VHA) serves over nine million veterans (Department of Veterans Affairs, 2023). They are responsible for the health and well-being of veterans with service-connected disabilities (Department of Veterans Affairs, 2023). A major focus for the organization is to keep improving access for veterans, as the population continues to grow (Department of Veterans Affairs, 2023). In 2018, congress passed the MISSION Act in hopes of increasing access for veterans. The MISSION Act would expand private healthcare access for veterans through the Veteran Community Care Program (VCCP) (MISSION ACT, 2018). Despite the initial benefits of the program, the MISSION …

Homelessness Assessment Of The Mountain West, 2023, Mohit Pande, Miguel Soriano Ralston, Riley Ruff, Zachary Billot, Annie Vong, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Demography

This fact sheet examines 2023 homelessness assessment data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for five Mountain West states: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.

Research Review: "Reculturation: A New Perspective On Military-Civilian Transition Stress", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This IVMF research review identifies challenges in veterans' transition to civilian life, despite available support. It highlights mental health issues like suicidality and low life satisfaction, possibly linked to cultural identity conflicts. Veterans' attempts to address this may lead to feelings of isolation, impacting mental health. The authors recommend studying immigrant acculturation experiences to understand veterans' identity struggles, proposing "reculturation" as a term. They advocate for clinical psychology to prioritize understanding this process to improve program engagement and suicide prevention. This review also looks at implications for policy, practice, and future research.

Research Review: "What Do Successful Military-To-Civilian Transitions Look Like? A Revised Framework And A New Conceptual Model For Assessing Veteran Well-Being", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

The research in this IVMF review introduces an enhanced framework and practical model for evaluating the well-being of post-9/11 veterans as they transition back to civilian life. Data analysis spanning 2.5 years from a substantial cohort of post-9/11 veterans revealed varied experiences during their transition: while some exhibited progress, notably in employment, others faced stagnation or decline, particularly in physical health. Even in areas of improvement, a significant portion of veterans continued to encounter challenges, with mental health issues affecting 34% at a certain study juncture. Furthermore, specific demographics such as enlisted personnel, women, and people of color were disproportionately …

Behavioral Science Interventions Could Increase Snap Comprehension And Awareness Among Military Families, Colleen Heflin, Hannah Patnaik, Leonard M. Lopoo, Siobhan O'Keefe

Population Health Research Brief Series

Food insecurity is more common among military families than the general population, and the transition from active service to civilian life is a time of heightened risk. The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) is designed to support food security among low-income families. Many eligible military and veteran families do not enroll in SNAP due to a lack of information, stigma, and administrative barriers. This brief highlights findings from a survey experiment conducted in 2022 and 2023 to assess how small changes to SNAP informational flyers, such as simplifying information provided about SNAP, highlighting that other veterans use SNAP, and emphasizing …

Serving Those Who Served: Renegotiating Support And Benefits For U.S. Military Veterans With Less Than Honorable Discharges, Mariah Brennan, Emily Graham

Population Health Research Brief Series

Approximately 1 in 7 veterans are discharged from the military under less than “Honorable” conditions. Veterans with less than “Honorable” discharges experience bias and stigma related to their discharge, which can lead to elevated risk for behavioral and mental health challenges and homelessness. This brief summarizes the different military discharge types, explains how less than “Honorable” discharges can affect veteran health, identifies groups of veterans who are at risk of receiving a less than “Honorable” discharge, and makes policy recommendations for the Department of Defense (DoD), civilian employers, and community healthcare providers.

Behavioral Science Interventions Could Increase Snap Comprehension And Awareness Among Military Families, Colleen Heflin, Hannah Patnaik, Leonard M. Lopoo, Siobhan O'Keefe

Center for Policy Research

Food insecurity is more common among military families than the general population, and the transition from active service to civilian life is a time of heightened risk. The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) is designed to support food security among low-income families. Many eligible military and veteran families do not enroll in SNAP due to a lack of information, stigma, and administrative barriers. This brief highlights findings from a survey experiment conducted in 2022 and 2023 to assess how small changes to SNAP informational flyers, such as simplifying information provided about SNAP, highlighting that other veterans use SNAP, and emphasizing …

Research Review: "Post-9/11 Deployment History And The Incidence Of Breast Cancer Among Women Veterans", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This research review focuses on women veterans who deployed in support of Operations Enduring Freedom/Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) to show if they had a greater likelihood of breast cancer (BC) than other women veterans who did not deploy during that service era. This research review highlights the lower BC risk associated with deployment as well as implications for practice from this study to include recognizing the “healthy soldier/warrior effect” as a potential factor. This IVMF review also provides implications for policy and future research on the topic of women veterans and breast cancer, particularly those who deploy.

Research Review: "Veteran Cultural Competence Training: Initial Effectiveness And National-Level Implementation", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

The authors aimed to address the issue of service professionals lacking cultural competence when working with veterans, which often leads veterans to feel misunderstood. They developed and assessed a program called Veteran Cultural Competence Training (VCCT). This training combined education and practical experience to enhance professionals' awareness, knowledge, and skills for better interaction with veterans.

Veterans In Nevada, 2021, Nicole Diaz Del Valle, Annie Vong, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Demography

This fact sheet examines data on veterans in Nevada in 2021. The original data source, the U.S. Census Bureau’s, “2021 American Community Survey One-Year Estimates” includes data on veterans for all 50 states.

Research Review: "A Practical Risk Calculator For Suicidal Behavior Among Transitioning U.S. Army Soldiers", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

The risk of suicide-related behaviors rises during the transition from military to civilian life. A prior study demonstrated the ability to identify high-risk U.S. Army soldiers pre-transition through a machine learning model considering administrative data, self-reports, and geospatial info. This led to a collaboration between Veterans Affairs and the Army to assess a tailored suicide prevention intervention. To streamline targeting, researchers aimed to develop a concise risk calculator using self-report surveys. The refined model was tested on 8335 individuals from the Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers-Longitudinal Study (STARRS-LS), including baseline and post-service surveys. Results showed around 1.0% …

Use Of Advance Directives In Us Veterans And Non-Veterans: Findings From The Decedents Of The Health And Retirement Study 1992–2014, Ho-Jui Tung, Ming-Chin Yeh

Department of Health Policy and Community Health Faculty Publications

Evidence shows that older patients with advance directives such as a living will, or durable power of attorney for healthcare, are more likely to receive care consistent with their preferences at the end of life. Less is known about the use of advance directives between veteran and non-veteran older Americans. Using data from the decedents of a longitudinal survey, we explore whether there is a difference in having an established advance directive between the veteran and non-veteran decedents. Data were taken from the Harmonized End of Life data sets, a linked collection of variables derived from the Health and Retirement …

Research Review: "Military Sexual Assault, Post-Service Employment, And Transition Preparation Among U.S. Military Veterans: New Directions For Research", Linda Euto

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

Unlike studies of military sexual trauma (MST) among active-duty service members, most studies of veterans with MST have been clinical in nature, focused on estimating population prevalence rates, improving clinical responses or treatments, or have associated MST with subsequent health-related risk behaviors such as alcohol or drug abuse. The present study seeks to broaden our understanding of the corollaries of military sexual assault by considering the relationship between being a survivor of military sexual assault and post-service employment and transition experiences. Using secondary data from a survey of the members of a national organization for post-9/11 veterans, this exploratory study …

Change Of Perception And Positive Attitudes Toward Therapy: A Comparative Analysis Conducted On Veterans Of The United States Of America, Hailey Buitrago, Desiree Crevecoeur-Macphail

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Active duty military members can be subjected to significant amounts of stress, trauma, and physical and mental exhaustion during their service periods. It is vital to recognize the extent of these mental health disorders because they affect 27% of veterans, and when not adequately treated, they can lead to increased functional disability, even more so than physical illnesses (Philips, 2016; Wells et al., 1989). This study aims to examine how different types of information influence the perceptions of therapy for veterans. Veterans of all branches of the United States military between the ages of 18 and 100 were asked to …

Serving American Veterans: A Review And Analysis Of Gaps In Service In The Needs Of Veterans, Mary Elisabeth Germann

Baker Scholar Projects

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is the agency of the federal government that is responsible for providing benefits, health care, and cemetery services to US military Veterans and their families. About a quarter of the nation’s population, approximately 70 million people, are potentially eligible for VA benefits and services because they are veterans, family members, or survivors of veterans. Due to this expansive demand, the United States has developed the most comprehensive system of Veterans assistance programs in the World. But many argue that the US VA still falls short of expectations and fails to fulfill the needs …

Missing Perspectives: Asian American & Pacific Islander In The Military--From Service To Civilian Life, Jeanette Yih Harvie, Rosalinda V. Maury, Rachel Linsner

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This infographic provides key highlights for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) service members, veterans, and their families. The information and statistics in this document are from various data collection efforts centered on military life, resource and financial needs, employment, entrepreneurship, and higher education. Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders are one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse racial groups in the U.S. (their heritage traces to over 30 different countries and ethnic groups and include over 100 languages and dialects).

The Wqw Annual Program Report -- May 2023, Kicia Sears, Keoki Spaulding, Gilly Cantor

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

In early 2021, Warriors & Quiet Waters (WQW) engaged the Evaluation and Capacity Building team at the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) to gain a clearer understanding of their program impacts, improve the participant experience, and better communicate the story of the warrior's journey to thriving. This report reflects the findings from the second year of the WQW-IVMF partnership.

Potential Chemical Risks From Tattoos And Their Relevance To Military Health Policy In The United States, James D. Blando, Blas A. Guigni

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

We summarize and consolidate disparate sources of information about the practice of tattooing and its potential implications for military population health and policy. Each branch of the United States military has policies about tattoos for service members, but these have varied over time and do not cover health protection. The number of veterans receiving disability payments and the cost of those payments has been rising over time; the broad category of skin conditions accounts for 11% of disability claims. Any additional factor, such as tattoos that may increase the occurrence of adverse skin reactions, can substantially impact veteran benefit expenses …

Cybercrime Risk In The Military Community: What Do We Know?, Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

In 2021 alone, military consumers reported losing over $267 million to fraud. This report provides an overview of what is known, and not known, about cybercrime and fraud and subsequent impacts on military members and their families. This report examines why military-connected persons might be more vulnerable or more often targeted by scammers, including reasons such as frequent moves or benefits that require frequent disclosures of personal information. This report highlights the need for more information and makes recommendations for cybersecurity policy.

Cognitive Effort Avoidance In Veterans With Suicide Attempt Histories, James M. Bjork, Chelsea S. Rooney, Lisa K. Straub, David M. N. Garavito, Andrew Westbrook

Articles

Suicide attempts (SA) are increasing in the United States, especially in veterans. Discovering individual cognitive features of the subset of suicide ideators who attempt suicide is critical. Cognitive theories attribute SA to facile schema-based negative interpretations of environmental events. Over-general autobiographical memory and facile solutions in problem solving tasks in SA survivors suggest that aversion to expending cognitive effort may be a neurobehavioral marker of SA risk. In veterans receiving care for mood disorder, we compared cognitive effort discounting and evidence-gathering in a beads task between veterans with (SAHx+; n = 26) versus without (SAHx-; n = 22) a history …

Hispanics And Latinos In The Military: The Path From Service To Veteran Entrepreneurship, Rosalinda V. Maury, Mirza Tihic, Adam Pritchard

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This brief provides highlights from the 2021 National Survey of Military-Affiliated Entrepreneurs (NSMAE) focusing on Hispanic, Latino/a/x, or Spanish origin (for example Mexican or Mexican American, Salvadoran, Puerto Rican, Dominican, Cuban, Colombian, etc.) veteran entrepreneurs. NSMAE monitors trends in the activity, needs, and economic, social, and policy barriers of military-affiliated entrepreneurs in the United States.

The Wqw Annual Program Report -- July 2022, Bonnie Chapman Beers, Keoki Spaulding, Kicia Sears

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

In early 2021, Warriors & Quiet Waters engaged the Evaluation and Capacity Building team at the IVMF to help measure and communicate the impact of their programs and better tell the story of the participant journey to thriving. The purpose of this evaluation was to test the hypothesis that participants experience a type of transformation or improvement during or immediately after a Fishing Expedition (FX), and that this effect is sustained for some individuals or can be enhanced through participation in additional FXs. Overall, this evaluation found that survey respondents reported improvements in nearly all domains investigated, including the value …

2021 National Survey Of Military-Affiliated Entrepreneurs, Rosalinda V. Maury, Mirza Tihic, Adam Pritchard, Alexander Mckelvie, Linda Euto

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This report shares findings from the 2021 National Survey of Military Affiliated (NSMAE) entrepreneurs about their experiences related to entrepreneurship, COVID-19 pandemic, military, and overall wellbeing.

Key Insights: 2021 National Survey Of Military-Affiliated Entrepreneurs, Rosalinda V. Maury, Mirza Tihic, Adam Pritchard, Alexander Mckelvie, Linda Euto

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This data brief provides key insights and findings from the 2021 National Survey of Military Affiliated (NSMAE) entrepreneurs about their experiences related to entrepreneurship, COVID-19 pandemic, military, and overall wellbeing.

Mindfulness To Manage Moral Injury: Rationale And Development Of A Live Online 7-Week Group Intervention For Veterans With Moral Injury, Michelle L. Kelley, Megan Strowger, Victoria O. Chentsova, Adrian J. Bravo, Susan A. Gaylord, Elizabeth E. Burgin, Christine Vinci, Kenneth L. Ayers, Erum Agha

Psychology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Military service puts service members at risk for moral injury. Moral injury is an array of symptoms (e.g., guilt, shame, anger) that develop from events that violate or transgress one's moral code.

OBJECTIVE: We describe adaption of in-person mindfulness training program, Mindfulness to Manage Chronic Pain (MMCP), to address symptoms of moral injury to be delivered live via the web. We discuss how we will assess benchmarks (i.e., recruitment, credibility and acceptability, completion rates, and adherence) of the Mindfulness to Manage Moral Injury (MMMI) program.

METHODS: Aim 1: To develop and then adapt the MMCP program based on …

A Comparison Of Factors That Impact Retention Of Nursing Students With And Without Military Experience: A Mixed Method Study, Janice E. Hawkins, Karen Higgins, Jamela Martin, Lynn Wiles, Ingrid Mahoney, Robert Hawkins, Beth Tremblay

Nursing Faculty Publications

Military veteran students have unique characteristics and challenges that influence their academic success. The factors impacting retention of nursing students with prior military experience may differ from students with no military experience. This mixed methods study used an anonymous survey guided by Jeffreys' Nursing Undergraduate Retention and Success Model to identify factors that support or restrict prelicensure nursing program retention of military veteran students compared to students with no history of military service. Statistically significant differences between groups were detected for three factors including financial status, membership in nursing organizations or clubs, and financial aid and/or scholarship. There was a …

Latino Veterans In Massachusetts, Phillip Granberry, Vishakha Agarwal

Gastón Institute Publications

Among the many types of services that promote the country’s general welfare, military service is among the most noble. People in the military are keenly aware that their service can place their lives at risk so that others keep their economic, political, and social wellbeing. In addition, those with families are aware that hazardous duty pay for deployment in a war zone in no way compensates for the stress placed on their families. This report estimates that 10,674 Latino veterans live in Massachusetts and provides a descriptive comparison to both non-Latino veterans and non-veteran Latinos. These veterans are 1.2% of …

Native Americans In The Military: From Service To Civilian Life, Rosalinda V. Maury, Rachel Linsner, Mary Rachel Keville, Adam Pritchard

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

Throughout American history, Native veterans have answered the call to serve in the Armed Services. Highly regarded within their tribal community for their dedication and commitment to serve in the Armed Services, Native American veterans represent 574 federally recognized tribes. We take this opportunity to honor all Native Americans and acknowledge their ongoing contributions to the success and growth of our nation. This infographic provides key highlights for American Indian and Alaska Native service members and veterans. The information and statistics in this document are from various data collection efforts centered on military life, transition, employment, entrepreneurship, and higher education.