The Experience of Women Veterans Coming Back From War

Issues surrounding mental health are common for women veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The goal of this phenomenological study was to document themes in the stories gathered from eight women veterans who had come back from war. Themes in the stories were: arriving with mixed sentiments; evolving to a changed view of self; permeating aggravation; confounding broken relationships, frequent deployments, and change in military status; remembering war experiences; and seeking opportunity for what is possible. Mental health issues can be observed in the themes. Including story as part of the mental health visit with veterans may be beneficial to veterans as they deal with the transition of coming back.