‘There’s no club, absolutely nothing’: Experiences of parents of Veterans living with illnesses and injuries in Canada

Abstract

LAY SUMMARY Parents of Veterans are often excluded from literature or programs surrounding military and Veteran families. Parents can play an important role in their adult child’s life following an operational stress injury. Little research has been done to look at how supporting an adult child may affect the parents. Parents of Canadian Armed Forces Veterans were interviewed to discuss their experiences supporting an ill or injured adult child. Parents reported taking on many additional responsibilities and often feel worried, guilty, and lost. These demands impacted their own health, well-being, finances, jobs, and relationships. They described feeling forgotten and betrayed by the lack of support and programs available for them. It is important that all parents are given the support and programs required, demonstrating a need for more in-depth explorations of what families of Veterans experience and need in Canada.