Impact of veterans' military-to-civilian transition experiences on their longer-term mental health

How well the over 200,000 U.S. servicemembers who complete military service each year navigate the transition to civilian life may impact their later-life outcomes, with smoother transitions increasing resilience to later life stressors and leading to better long-term outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine whether veterans who experience better military-to-civilian transitions are less vulnerable to poor mental health when faced with later stressors.

Data were drawn from a population-based sample of U.S. veterans (N = 9,566) who completed six biannual surveys on their health and well-being throughout the first three years following separation from military service (2016-2019), and another a year into the COVID-19 pandemic (2021). We examined veterans' vocational, financial, and social readjustment patterns using latent growth modeling and impacts on subsequent mental health using logistic regressions.

The majority of veterans reported consistently high vocational and social well-being but low financial well-being during the initial transition from service, with approximately 15% reporting declining well-being in each domain. In turn, well-being trajectories predicted veterans' odds of experiencing probable mental health conditions (depression and anxiety) during the pandemic, even after accounting for background characteristics, prior mental health, and additional stressful/traumatic experiences. In contrast with those with consistently low well-being, those with initially low then increasing vocational, financial, and social well-being reported similar mental health as those with consistently high well-being.

These results underscore the importance of bolstering support for transitioning veterans and point to strategies that can be applied to improve their longer-term mental health.