As we have discussed, military sexual trauma or MST can impact all service personnel, but the targets are disproportionately women. MST is a potentially significant and widespread military experience that may contribute to a veteran’s support needs. The research shows that experiencing MST may further strengthen the barriers to seeking support faced by women veterans that we have just covered.
For example, some veterans report that they feared the consequences of reporting MST during service and that this fear persisted into life as a veteran. Others have reported feeling betrayed by the Armed Forces as an institution, making it less likely they would approach a support service that reflects a military identity.
The evidence suggests that veterans can downplay the seriousness of some of their experiences. Veterans may not make a link between what they have experienced in the past and their current mental health needs, and that link may not be straightforward or linear. Therefore, support services recognising, naming and communicating that MST experiences are valid military traumas may be beneficial.
(Sources: Brown et al, 2024; Campbell et al, 2023; Galovski et al 2022; Dardis et al, 2018; Monteith et al, 2021; MoD,2021)
