Discharge, But No Exit: An Existential Qualitative Interpretive Meta-Synthesis of Veteran Reintegration
Abstract
Ongoing campaigns in support of the Global War on Terrorism have created an influx of veterans attempting to reintegrate into civilian society. While some veterans reintegrate easily, others continue to struggle. An increasing number of studies have begun to take a more holistic approach to understanding the root causes of the distress observed in reintegrating veterans. The objective of this study was to utilise the existential framework as conceptualised by Irvin Yalom to generate a deeper understanding of the underlying factors contributing to the struggles that veterans experience in their return to society. A qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis (QIMS) approach was used to hear the combined voices of a selection of veterans from the USA and UK. A directed content analysis was used in conjunction with the QIMS methodology to categorise novel constructs in the context of existential ultimate concerns resulting in nine new themes: loss of identity, fear of death, loss of control, reliance on authority, feelings of alienation, self-isolation, resentment towards civilians, loss of collective sense of duty and loss of purpose. Findings enhance the understanding of conflicting values and beliefs underlying reintegration problems, informing future social work practice and research.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Psychosocial and cultural factors are important for adjustment and reintegration.
“Subsequent research has reiterated the importance of these psychosocial and cultural factors [30].”
From Feasibility, acceptability, and initial outcomes of a psychological adjustment and reintegration program for transitioned military veterans (2024) · cites this paper as [30]
In a meta-synthesis of reintegration of veterans from the USA and UK, nine overall themes included loss of identity, loss of purpose, and resentment towards civilians.
“They constructed nine overall themes which also included loss of identity, loss of purpose and resentment towards civilians [30].”
From Feasibility, acceptability, and initial outcomes of a psychological adjustment and reintegration program for transitioned military veterans (2024) · cites this paper as [30]
Psychological and cultural aspects of reintegration play a significant role in overall adjustment.
“The study emphasized that psychological and cultural aspects of reintegration play a significant role in overall adjustment, a finding that has been repeated in subsequent research [29–31].”
From Feasibility, acceptability, and initial outcomes of a psychological adjustment and reintegration program for transitioned military veterans (2024) · cites this paper as [30]
Cites
Three Approaches to Qualitative Content Analysis
Hsieh, H.-F., & Shannon, S. E. (2005) · Qualitative Health Research · doi:10.1177/1049732305276687 · Cited by 44,601 · see citing works
Offenkrantz, W. C. (1981) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/ajp.138.7.1002 · Cited by 2,926 · see citing works
Combining individual interviews and focus groups to enhance data richness
Lambert, S. D., & Loiselle, C. G. (2008) · Journal of Advanced Nursing · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2007.04559.x · Cited by 1,318 · see citing works
Assarroudi, A., Nabavi, F. H., Armat, M. R., Ebadi, A., & Vaismoradi, M. (2018) · Journal of research in nursing · doi:10.1177/1744987117741667 · Cited by 1,268 · see citing works
Ahern, J., Worthen, M., Masters, J., Lippman, S. A., Ozer, E. J., & Moos, R. H. (2015) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0128599 · Cited by 291 · see citing works
Mackey, S. J. (2004) · International Journal of Nursing Studies · doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2004.06.011 · Cited by 277 · see citing works
Tsai, J., Harpaz-Rotem, I., Pietrzak, R. H., & Southwick, S. M. (2012) · Psychiatry: Interpersonal and Biological Processes · doi:10.1521/psyc.2012.75.2.135 · Cited by 255 · see citing works
Beyond war and PTSD: The crucial role of transition stress in the lives of military veterans
Mobbs, M. C., & Bonanno, G. A. (2017) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2017.11.007 · Cited by 201 · see citing works
Smith, R. T., & True, G. (2014) · Society and Mental Health · doi:10.1177/2156869313512212 · Cited by 200 · see citing works
Crafting Stories in Hermeneutic Phenomenology Research: A Methodological Device
Crowther, S., Ironside, P., Spence, D. G., & Smythe, E. (2016) · Qualitative Health Research · doi:10.1177/1049732316656161 · Cited by 192 · see citing works
Qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis in social work research: Uncharted territory
Praetorius, R. T., & Bolton, K. W. (2013) · Journal of Social Work · doi:10.1177/1468017313476797 · Cited by 137 · see citing works
Elnitsky, C. A., Fisher, M. P., & Blevins, C. L. (2017) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00369 · Cited by 125 · see citing works
Reintegration Challenges in U.S. Service Members and Veterans Following Combat Deployment
Sayer, N. A., Carlson, K. F., & Frazier, P. A. (2014) · Social Issues and Policy Review · doi:10.1111/sipr.12001 · Cited by 120 · see citing works
Resnik, L. J., Bradford, D. W., Glynn, S. M., Jette, A. M., Hernandez, C. J., & Wills, S. (2012) · The Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development · doi:10.1682/jrrd.2010.06.0107 · Cited by 103 · see citing works
Identity adjustment among Afghanistan and Iraq war veterans with reintegration difficulty.
Orazem, R. J., Frazier, P. A., Schnurr, P. P., Oleson, H., Carlson, K. F., Litz, B. T., & Sayer, N. A. (2016) · Psychological Trauma Theory Research Practice and Policy · doi:10.1037/tra0000225 · Cited by 94 · see citing works
Demers, A. L. (2013) · Journal of Humanistic Psychology · doi:10.1177/0022167812472395 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
Understanding Student Veterans in Transition
Jones, K. (2015) · The Qualitative Report · doi:10.46743/2160-3715/2013.1468 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Sayer, N. A., Orazem, R. J., Noorbaloochi, S., Gravely, A., Frazier, P., Carlson, K. F., Schnurr, P. P., & Oleson, H. (2015) · Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research · doi:10.1007/s10488-014-0564-2 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
Neilson, E. C., Singh, R. S., Harper, K. L., & Teng, E. J. (2020) · Psychology of Men & Masculinity · doi:10.1037/men0000257 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
Incarceration Among Male Veterans
Greenberg, G. A., & Rosenheck, R. A. (2011) · International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology · doi:10.1177/0306624x11406091 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
A Bourdieusian Analysis of U.S. Military Culture Ground in the Mental Help-Seeking Literature
Abraham, T. H., Cheney, A. M., & Curran, G. M. (2015) · American Journal of Men s Health · doi:10.1177/1557988315596037 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Brenner, L. A., Betthauser, L. M., Bahraini, N. H., Lusk, J., Terrio, H. P., Scher, I., & Schwab, K. A. (2015) · Rehabilitation Psychology · doi:10.1037/rep0000048 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
James Bugental and Irvin Yalom
Krug, O. T. (2009) · Journal of Humanistic Psychology · doi:10.1177/0022167809334001 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
McCormack, L., & Ell, L. (2016) · Traumatology An International Journal · doi:10.1037/trm0000107 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Albertson, K. (2019) · Illness Crisis & Loss · doi:10.1177/1054137319834773 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Wastler, H., Lucksted, A., Phalen, P., & Drapalski, A. L. (2019) · Psychiatric rehabilitation journal · doi:10.1037/prj0000386 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Post-deployment family violence among UK military personnel
Kwan, J., Jones, M., Somaini, G., Hull, L., Wessely, S. C., Fear, N. T., & MacManus, D. (2017) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291717003695 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
At Ease: Developing Veterans’ Sense of Belonging in the College Classroom
Blackwell-Starnes, K. (2018) · Journal of Veterans Studies · doi:10.21061/jvs.2 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Hawkins, B. L., & Crowe, B. M. (2017) · Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation · doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2017.07.018 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Romaniuk, M., & Kidd, C. (2018) · Griffith Research Online · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Making dialogue with an existential voice in transition from military to civilian life
Grimell, J. (2017) · Theory & Psychology · doi:10.1177/0959354317739164 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Moral Injury as Loss and Grief with Attention to Ritual Resources for Care
Ramsay, N. J. (2018) · Pastoral Psychology · doi:10.1007/s11089-018-0854-9 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Veterans and violence: An exploration of pre-enlistment, military and post-service life
Banks, J. A., & Albertson, K. (2018) · European Journal of Criminology · doi:10.1177/1477370818764825 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Dabovich, P. A., Eliott, J., & McFARLANE, A. C. (2019) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.01.012 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
U.S. Military Service Members’ Reintegration, Culture, and Spiritual Development
Suzuki, M., & Kawakami, A. (2016) · The Qualitative Report · doi:10.46743/2160-3715/2016.2294 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Control Beliefs and Dehumanization
Testé, B. (2017) · Swiss Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1024/1421-0185/a000194 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Sheppard, M., & Charles, M. (2014) · The British Journal of Social Work · doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcu117 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Hunt, M. G., Cuddeback, G. S., Bromley, E., Bradford, D. W., & Hoff, R. A. (2019) · Community Mental Health Journal · doi:10.1007/s10597-019-00437-1 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
PHENOMENOLOGICAL EXISTENTIALISM
Roy, M. (2010) · Think · doi:10.1017/s1477175609990224 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Military-to-civilian transition strains and risky behavior among post-9/11 veterans
Markowitz, F. E., Kintzle, S. M., & Castro, C. A. (2022) · Military Psychology · doi:10.1080/08995605.2022.2065177 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Romaniuk, M., Saunders-Dow, E., Brown, K., & Batterham, P. J. (2024) · BMC Psychology · doi:10.1186/s40359-024-02097-7 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
“Additionally, Tarbet and colleagues [30] conducted a qualitative inter-pretive meta-synthesis of reintegration of veterans from the USA and UK.”
BackgroundInfluentialSpikol, E., Ross, J., McGlinchey, E., & Armour, C. (2022) · Armed Forces & Society · doi:10.1177/0095327x221112963 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Chen, Z., & Highfill, C. (2022) · Social Work in Public Health · doi:10.1080/19371918.2022.2128138 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Luethke, T. N., Thompson, H. L., & Folk, G. (2025) · Journal of Community Psychology · doi:10.1002/jcop.23178 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Cenkner, D. P., & Zalta, A. K. (2025) · Journal of Psychiatric Research · doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.05.059 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
UK Military Veterans’ Difficulties in Reintegration and the Road to Imprisonment
Packham, D. D. (2025) · Conflict and Society · doi:10.3167/arcs.2025.110103 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Gorra, N. (2022) · Journal of Sociology and Social Work · doi:10.15640/jssw.v10n1a4
- Authors
- Tarbet, Z., Moore, S., & Alanazi, A.
- Affiliations
- The University of Texas at Arlington (US)
- Corresponding author
- Tarbet, Zachary
- Venue
- The British Journal of Social Work
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2020-09-27
- Volume
- 51
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 3319-3339
- ISSN
- 0045-3102 (ISSN-L)
- 1468-263X
- OpenAlex
- W3090591481
- Cited by
- 8
- References
- 39
- Citations by year
- 2025: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2022: 4
- FWCI
- 1.52
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- academic.oup.com/journals/pages/open_access/funder_policies/chorus/standard_publication_model (vor)
- Locations
- The British Journal of Social Work (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Education and Military Integration
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Resilience and Mental Health
- Keywords
- veteran reintegration, post-9/11 veterans, war on terror, existential concerns, identity loss, fear of death, loss of control, alienation, self-isolation
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
