Courage, camaraderie and compassion: a qualitative exploration into UK military veterans' experiences of self-compassion within the context of alcohol use disorders and recovery.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

UK veterans are at increased risk of mental health and alcohol use disorders (AUDs), experiencing specific challenges such as combat exposure and re-integration which may contribute to treatment barriers. Experiences of shame and AUDs, which may precede or become exacerbated during military service, may be mitigated by self-compassion (SC). This study sought to understand how UK veterans make sense of their SC experiences within the context of their relationships with alcohol and recovery.

Methods

Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to interpret the SC experiences of five ex-military veterans (one female). Semistructured face-to-face interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, with a double hermeneutic approach used to interpret meanin

SUBMITTER: Barrington LJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11877041 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature