Resisting decline? Narratives of independence among aging limbless veterans

Considering the psychological experience of amputation and rehabilitation for military veterans: a systematic review and metasynthesis of qualitative research

PURPOSE

Research highlights the differences and unique experiences of military veterans experiencing amputation compared to civilians. This review aimed to synthesise qualitative research exploring the experience of amputation and rehabilitation among existing or previous members of the military.

METHODS

A systematic search of six databases (PsycINFO, AMED, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science and Scopus) was undertaken in March 2022. The results of 17 papers reporting 12 studies published between 2009 and 2022 were synthesised using a meta-ethnographic approach to generate new interpretations reflecting the experiences of members of the military who have experienced limb loss.

RESULTS

Three themes were developed from the data: (1) Making the physical and psychological transition to life after amputation; (2) The role of the military culture in rehabilitation; and (3) The impact of relationships and the gaze of others during rehabilitation and beyond.

CONCLUSIONS

Military veterans with limb loss experience difficulties in navigating civilian healthcare systems and gaining appropriate support away from the military. Rehabilitation professionals, with psychological training or mentoring, involved in the care of military veterans following amputation could offer psychological support during the transition to civilian life and targeted therapies to veterans experiencing high levels of pain, and facilitate peer support programmes.

Engaging veterans in the research process: a practical guide

Aims: Provide guidance for engaging military veterans in various research teams to help overcome veterans' lack of trust in research. Methods: We draw from our combined experience to present four case studies of veteran research on sensitive topics to illustrate successful engagement with veterans. Results: For each case example, we describe veterans' contributions at different phases of research. We then share practical guidance for realizing benefits and overcoming challenges of engaging veterans in research at each phase. In our experience, successful engagement has built trust by aligning research with participants' own experience as veterans. Conclusion: Investigators wishing to engage veterans in research may benefit from the lessons presented through these case studies.

Harnessing progress: Gender, sexuality, and positive self-perceptions of aging in midlife

Drawing on interviews, this article analyzes how lesbians, gay men, straight women, and straight men construct positive views of aging during midlife, a life course period when negative perceptions of aging are salient. Interviewees engaged in harnessing progress-a process of crafting personal aging narratives that emphasize growth and improvement-which helped them to feel positively about their own aging. All interviewees shared these progress narratives, but reports differed across gender and sexuality groups. Men's narratives focused on the wisdom they gained and how that made them more relevant to older and younger generations. Regarding the latter, straight men viewed their children as beneficiaries of their progress and gay men viewed younger LGBTQ people as beneficiaries. Women's progress narratives focused on self-improvement. Whereas straight women described becoming more self-reliant with age, lesbians described learning to stand up for themselves. Overall, findings reveal how gender and sexual identities-and the lifelong benefits and burdens that accompany those identities-influence how people create positive perceptions of aging.