Individuate and separate: Values and identity re-development during rehabilitation and transition in the Australian Army

Abstract

Many health behaviours and outcomes in veterans can be attributed to issues of identity. Identity is informed by core values, which are critical to service organisations that demand unity, including the military, but the intersection between values, identity, and adaptation to serious wounds, injuries, and illnesses remains relatively unexplored. This article elucidates the relationship between values, identity, and adaptation during rehabilitation in high-risk military personnel through examination of the experiences of 13 Australian combat soldiers undergoing rehabilitation for serious wounds, injuries, and mental health conditions. Each participated in two semi-structured, in-depth interviews which were conducted between March and December 2014. Data were thematically analysed using a qualitative approach dialectically positioned between social constructionism and critical realism. Results demonstrate those primarily with physical limitations sequentially drew on five sets of values that underscored four sequential stages of adaptation that collectively reflect the psychosocial task of adolescence, namely identity development. Those primarily with mental health conditions did not share such a clear trajectory. This insight may inform overarching primary healthcare strategies in clinical and community settings, as well as a transition research agenda.

Keywords: Identity; Injury; Military; Rehabilitation; Self-other rebalancing; Transition; Trauma; Values.