Citation

Felder S, Delany PJ. J. Mil. Veteran Fam. Health 2021; 7: 69-75.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, University of Toronto Press)

DOI

10.3138/JMVFH-2021-0029

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The human dimension of war can be traumatizing. For women who serve, the atrocities of war can be exacerbated by sexual harassment and abuse, known as military sexual trauma (MST). The limited research on MST among U.S. Veterans suggests that as many as 1 in 3 Veterans experiencing homelessness were exposed to MST. MST can have long-lasting consequences, including alcohol and drug problems, depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, chronic health problems, and unstable housing and homelessness.

METHODS: This qualitative exploratory study used a life course perspective to examine how MST and other experiences influenced female Veterans' pathways into homelessness.

RESULTS: This study found that 86% of the sample (12 of 14) experienced MST, a rate higher than that in the extant literature reports. For these 12 participants, MST was a persistent thread that came with both short- and long-term consequences.

DISCUSSION: Short-term consequences included unfulfilled expectations and rapidly changing duty assignments. Long-term consequences included pregnancies, shortened careers, and, for some, suicide attempts, lifelong challenges with mental health and substance abuse, and periods of homelessness. Because of the barriers to reporting and challenges to accessing care, MST became the silent destroyer that resulted in the ongoing suffering of these women whose voices were never heard. This research describes, in the participants' own words, the results of MST, a by-product of service. © 2021 University of Toronto Press. All Rights Reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

United States; Female; Women; Military; Abuse; Homelessness; Veterans; Homeless; Military sexual trauma; U.S; Active duty; MST