New study examines the impact of peer support on women veterans

(Boston)—Women who serve in the armed forces have a unique life journey. They are a minority during service and a rarity in the civilian population. Their contributions to military service are often unknown, unrecognized, or worse, disregarded. Prior studies show these women may step back further and further from their military identity, which may put them at greater risk for long-term, negative mental health and well-being.

A new study by researchers at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine has found that women veterans who participated in a peer support program experienced a greater sense of belonging, higher quality of life and less post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression.

“The loss of belongingness after service can be particularly profound for many women veterans and can result in loneliness and isolation, risk factors for a host of negative mental health outcomes,” said corresponding author Tara Galovski, PhD, professor of psychiatry at the school and director of the Women’s Health Sciences Division of the National Center for PTSD at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Galovski is a cofounder of WoVeN (the Women Veterans Network), a national peer support program developed through Boston University with the support of several foundations. The program, originally developed in 2017 with six peer leaders and 15 women veterans, has since grown to nearly 5,000 women veterans nationwide. This is the first paper to report on the results of the voluntary research study and describes the impact of the program on women veterans, particularly the strong effects on those who suffer from mental health conditions like PTSD and depression.

The researchers analyzed survey data of 393 participants in the WoVeN group program collected at baseline, post-group and three-month follow-up. They found that for those who suffered from clinical levels of PTSD and depression (about half the sample), improvements were observed in not only those mental health conditions, but also in their sense belonging and quality of life.

According to the researchers, loneliness, isolation and lack of belonging are known risk factors for a host of negative outcomes including PTSD, depression, anxiety and even suicide. “Social support is an established protective factor. However, the extent to which connections, belongingness and social support is measured and tested empirically is negligible. This model of peer-led social support can be easily translated to other vulnerable populations and provide a sustainable and easily replicable model of care for at-risk populations to help move the needle further toward better mental health and greater well-being,” adds Galovski.

These findings appear online in a special issue of Medical Care.

“This study was funded by the Walmart Foundation, May & Stanley Smith Charitable Trust, Bob Woodruff Foundation, and Oak Foundation.  The WoVeN program also has receives support from the VA.”