Complex psychosocial distress postdeployment in Veterans: reintegration identity disruption and challenged moral integrity

How individuals experience reintegration postcombat and subsequent military discharge is a poorly explored phenomenon, though for many service personnel it is fraught with complex psychosocial hurdles. Therefore, seeking both positive and negative interpretations of this phenomenon, semistructured interviews explored the “lived” experience of 5 former military personnel. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) 1 superordinate theme emerged: shaping and breaking: who am I now? and overarched 5 subordinate themes. Four themes encapsulated the search for post war identity in these former military personnel. As such, narratives revealed that each participant grappled to understand a destabilizing sense of betrayal beyond leadership malpractice. This was interpreted as an enduring organizational failure that was cumulative on core morality changes from exposure to war. Psychological injuries remained fresh and raw despite years since discharge. Memories of feeling discarded, lost, and alone rekindled the self-doubt, distrust, and depleted confidence that fostered an inability to readily reengage with civility, with loved ones, and society. Turning on self, intrinsic blame fueled either self-loathing or retreat into silence or rage. A fifth theme revealed tenuous insights where minimal acceptance, some redefining of altruistic identity, and hope could emerge. Findings are discussed in light of these results, particularly the role of organizations in providing immediate supportive validation of deployment experience where validation of moral distress and identity disruption are inclusive in reintegration programs nurturing recovery and psychological wellbeing.