"I've never been able to stay in a job": A qualitative study of Veterans' experiences of maintaining employment.

BACKGROUND: Ensuring Veteran employment needs are met is a top priority for the Department of Veteran Affairs and the United States government. However, Veterans, especially those with mental health disorders, continue to encounter difficulties when employed. While many employment related programs offer numerous services aimed at helping Veterans gain employment, their ability to maintain long-term employment remains unknown.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to understand factors that affect the ability of Veterans with mental health disorders to maintain long-term employment.

METHODS: An exploratory, qualitative study design consisting of semi-structured interviews with 10 Veterans was performed. Inductive thematic analysis was performed to identify salient themes.

RESULTS: We found that participants' symptoms manifested themselves within the workplace affecting their ability to maintain employment, participants felt as if they had been demoted from what they did in the military, and they felt unable to relate to civilian co-workers. Strategies that helped some transition into the civilian workforce were also identified.

CONCLUSIONS: A better understanding of the difficulties some Veterans face when trying to maintain employment is needed. Our findings suggest that increasing awareness of existing programs and ensuring that services provide resources and skills that help Veterans maintain long-term employment is critical.