Those leaving the armed forces are struggling to adapt to civilian life, charity research has shown
Those leaving the armed forces are struggling to adapt to civilian life, new research has shown.
The Forces in Mind Trust has released a report which shows the families of service personnel making the transition back to civilian life feel there should be more support available.
Research has been undertaken by the charity’s behavioural insights team (BIT) to assess how engagement with, and by, families works during the process of transition back into civilian life and where it could be improved. The report highlights the need for more accessible and inclusive support.
BIT conducted 53 interviews with families, and serving and ex-service personnel to understand what the barriers and facilitators are for families when engaging with transition support, and how best to utilise behaviour and social sciences to overcome these barriers and encourage behavioural change.
This has resulted in families calling for greater involvement in transitions, to boost links with social networks and to continue to provide support after transition.
Ray Lock, chief executive of the Forces in Mind Trust, said: “We now look to find effective ways of embedding the necessary behavioural changes in individuals and organisations. This research has the potential of achieving great impact on the support offered to families in the transition process and their engagement with it. We hope the MOD, and organizations providing transition support, incorporate these recommendations into their transition procedures.”
The year-long project was funded by the trust and is the first in a two-phase project, with findings influencing a pilot project which will form the second phase.
Victoria Fussey, senior advisor at the behavioural insights team, said: "The move back to civilian life can be hard for people leaving the armed forces, as well as for their families. Through this project, we've gained a better understanding of how people experience transition and suggested a number of ways that designing services based on this understanding and the science of human behaviour and decision making can be used to improve the transition process."
