Female veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan: Stress-related behaviors and coping mechanisms

Background/Significance: Female veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq compose a rising proportion of all veterans and are more likely have exposure to combat. In addition to wartime stress, female veterans suffer from stress related to reentry into society, e.g. from work and family. Stress overload puts veterans at risk for stress-associated coping behaviors, including smoking, drinking, drug use, and overeating. Though much is known about stress-related experiences among male veterans, little is known about how female veterans experience the stress of re-entry.

Objective/Purpose: The purpose of this study is to develop a position paper that will describe women's experiences of stress and stress-associated addictions that occur with reentry and war.

Methods: Focus group interviews were conducted with patients utilizing health care services at the Women's Clinic at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System. Eligible patients were identified using the OEF/OIF roster supplied by the Office of Research and Development of the VHA.

Results: Preliminary results gathered in pilot interviews suggest that female veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan do not have adequate knowledge or access to health and mental health services aimed toward female veterans experiencing re-entry stress. Additional focus group data regarding women's stress-related behaviors and coping information is currently under analysis.

Discussion/Conclusions: Addictive behaviors to cope with women's greater combat exposure and reentry stress will harm women's health. This position paper will be the first in identifying war and reentry stress among returning female veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan and the impact of this stress on addictive behaviors.