@article{ref1,
title="A qualitative analysis of meaning-making and mental health among OIF/OEF veterans",
journal="Journal of clinical psychology (Hoboken)",
year="2020",
author="Keller, Emily M. and Owens, Gina P. and Perkins, Marjorie and Hamrick, Lauren A.",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: After combat, veterans may experience mental health symptomology and attempt to make meaning from their experiences. The present study qualitatively examined the mental health effects of deployment and meaning-making among Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) or Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) veterans. <br><br>METHOD: OIF/OEF veterans who were exposed to combat (N = 14) participated in semi-structured interviews to assess how their perspectives had changed post-deployment. Most participants (86%) were male, with a mean age of 30. <br><br>RESULTS: Veterans described issues post-combat that caused psychological distress or promoted distancing from others. Veterans also discussed factors that could promote or hinder meaning-making, including perceptions of growth, changed global beliefs, and disillusionment. Finally, veterans described psychological reactions to death, which could be related to moral injury. <br><br>CONCLUSION: Mental health concerns, meaning-making, and consideration of mortality appear to characterize veterans' experiences post-deployment. These constructs may be important for clinicians to consider when working with OIF/OEF veterans.<br><br>© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0021-9762",
doi="10.1002/jclp.22959",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22959"
}