{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,24]],"date-time":"2026-10-24T03:14:37Z","timestamp":1792811677268,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":16,"publisher":"University of Toronto Press Inc. (UTPress)","issue":"4-EN","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Introduction: To date, investigations of Veterans\u2019 transition to civilian life after military service have tended to focus on the experiences of those with mental or physical health difficulties or on employment challenges and homelessness. This study aimed to gain a deep understanding of Veterans\u2019 transition to civilian life, the challenges they face, and the adap-tive and maladaptive ways in which they manage them. Methods: A narrative approach was used to afford the Veterans an opportunity to share their experiences through their transition story. Six male Veterans residing in the Chicagoland area who had left the military between 1 and 12 years earlier were interviewed using a narrative approach. Results: Narrative analysis led to the emergence of three master narratives: narratives of the challenges, narratives of readiness, and narratives of continued military values. The narratives the Veterans shared highlighted not only the importance of practical readiness for transition but also the need for a fundamental addition to how Veteran transition is considered that includes psychological considerations of the impact on identity and the potential for existential crisis. Discussion: Appraising transition only in terms of measurable factors such as employment, living conditions, and health likely over-looks those experiencing psychological challenges and sub-clinical mental health difficulties. The proposed fundamen-tal addition has implications for work with Veterans in various health care settings and for existing transition programs, including a consideration of the role of identity.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3138\/jmvfh-0718-0011","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,23]],"date-time":"2024-09-23T10:47:27Z","timestamp":1727088447000},"page":"59-67","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Stories of transition: U.S. Veterans\u2019 narratives of transition to civilian life and the important role of identity"],"prefix":"10.3138","volume":"10","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3049-6022","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mary","family":"Keeling","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Innovation and Research on Veterans and Military Families, Suzanne Dworak Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1696","reference":[{"key":"r1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.7208\/chicago\/9780226160535.001.0001","volume-title":"Becoming an ex: the process of role exit","author":"Ebaugh HRF","year":"1988"},{"key":"r2","volume-title":"The state of the American Veteran: the Chicagoland Veterans Study","author":"Kintzle S","year":"2016"},{"issue":"1","key":"r3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"181","DOI":"10.1353\/foc.0.0045","volume":"20","author":"Kelty R","year":"2010","journal-title":"Future Child"},{"key":"r4","volume-title":"Mental health and well-being of military Veterans during the military to civilian transition: Review and analysis of the recent literature","author":"Shields DM","year":"2016"},{"issue":"2","key":"r5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"160","DOI":"10.1080\/15325024.2010.519281","volume":"16","author":"Demers A.","year":"2011","journal-title":"J Loss Trauma"},{"key":"r6","volume-title":"Changing step: from military to civilian life","author":"Jolly R.","year":"1996"},{"issue":"2","key":"r7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"147","DOI":"10.1177\/2156869313512212","volume":"4","author":"Smith RT","year":"2014","journal-title":"Soc Ment Health"},{"issue":"7","key":"r8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e0128599","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0128599","volume":"10","author":"Ahern J","year":"2015","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"issue":"3","key":"r9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"198","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2850.2010.01652.x","volume":"18","author":"Ray SL","year":"2011","journal-title":"J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs"},{"key":"r10","volume-title":"Social identity and intergroup relations","author":"Tajfel H.","year":"2010"},{"issue":"1","key":"r11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.15760\/anthos.2014.151","volume":"6","author":"Whitaker D.","year":"2014","journal-title":"Anthos"},{"key":"r12","first-page":"12","volume":"8","author":"Zarecky A.","year":"2014","journal-title":"Int J Evidence Based Coaching Mentor"},{"key":"r13","first-page":"57","volume-title":"Qualitative researching with text, IMAge and sound: a practical handbook","author":"Jovchelovitch S","year":"2000"},{"issue":"2","key":"r14","first-page":"25","volume":"3","author":"Braun V","year":"2008","journal-title":"Qual Res Psychol"},{"issue":"1","key":"r15","first-page":"13","volume":"46","author":"Osborne JW","year":"2012","journal-title":"Can J Couns Psychother"},{"key":"r16","volume-title":"Love\u2019s executioner and other tales of psychotherapy","author":"Yalom ID","year":"1989"}],"container-title":["Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/utppublishing.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.3138\/jmvfh-0718-0011","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,13]],"date-time":"2025-03-13T13:43:58Z","timestamp":1741873438000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/utppublishing.com\/doi\/10.3138\/jmvfh-0718-0011"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,1]]},"references-count":16,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4-EN","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,1]]}},"alternative-id":["10.3138\/jmvfh-0718-0011"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3138\/jmvfh-0718-0011","relation":{},"ISSN":["2368-7924","2368-7924"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2368-7924","type":"print"},{"value":"2368-7924","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,1]]}}}