Meeting the needs of women veterans in mental health services

Project summary:

This project set out to understand women veterans’ mental health needs and their experiences of care, in order to co-design practical guidance for the professionals supporting them. Funded by the National Institute for Health Research, the project was delivered in collaboration with Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust and Salute Her.

The research found that many women veterans don’t identify with the term “veteran”, often viewing it as a male label, which means they don’t feel entitled to access veteran-specific support even when they need it. Compounding this, a lack of awareness of available services, confusion over eligibility, and a perception that veteran-specific provision was designed primarily for men all discouraged women from seeking help, alongside practical barriers such as inconsistent regional provision, long waiting lists, and caring responsibilities. Many participants also described how military cultural narratives around female “weakness” made them reluctant to appear vulnerable, leading some to feel they weren’t “bad enough” to deserve support, while others reported experiences of gender discrimination, sexual violence, or poor previous care that shaped their reluctance to re-engage with services. As a result, women veterans often fall through the gaps between civilian and military mental health provision altogether.