Experience of transition from active duty to civilian life for post 9/11 combat veterans

BACKGROUND: The suicide rate for veterans who served after 9/11 is 21% greater than that of the general United States population. Most of them commit suicide within the first three years of transition from active duty. Combat veterans report more difficult transitions from the military than non-combat veterans. High levels of stress during transition from the military has been associated with decreased well-being, occupational dysfunction, and suicidal ideation. The purpose of this study was to provide an understanding of the experience of transition from active duty to civilian life for combat veterans who served after 9/11.
METHOD: A phenomenological research method was chosen to describe the lived experience of transition from active duty to civilian life for combat veterans who served after 9/11. In-depth interviews were recorded and used to collect data virtually via Zoom or in a location convenient to the participant. The transcripts were coded line by line until data saturation was met and themes developed. RESULTS: Five main themes and nine subthemes emerged from the data that illustrate these combat veterans’ experience of transition from active duty life to the civilian world. Main themes include: 1) Having Expectations; 2) Confronting Barriers; 3) Crisis of Identity; (4) Employing Coping Mechanisms; and (5) Filling a Void. CONCLUSION: Findings from this study add depth to the understanding of occupational identity as it relates to social and psychosocial identity and the important interaction roles, context, and meaningful occupations have on a veteran’s occupational adaptation in the civilian context.