Creating Community for Women Veterans Through Social Networking Organizations: A Secondary Analysis of Team Red, White, and Blue New Member Surveys

Abstract

In an effort to better understand mental health and enrichment differences between veteran women and men in a veteran service organization (VSO), a research team conducted secondary analysis of assessment data from Team Red, White, and Blue (Team RWB) veteran members who joined between 2014 and 2016. In this secondary analysis of the 2014–2016 Team RWB initial member survey data, frequencies and crosstab analyses were conducted for veteran respondents (N = 10,015), a portion of whom (31.5%) identified as former servicewomen (n = 3,152). Women were statistically overrepresented by a factor of 2–3 times in organizational membership. Gender-correlated differences were found with levels of enrichment; at baseline, women reported lower levels of social support as described by the subcategory of belonging (p < .001) and lower levels of sense of purpose as measured by two subcategories (p < .002 and p = .03). Primary findings from this study indicate an opportunity for future research on mental health and enrichment when a member joins a service or social networking organization. is indicated. Lower levels of mental health and enrichment among new Team RWB members who are female veterans indicates an opportunity for the organization to actively focus programs and resources on this fast-growing subpopulation of veterans to enhance retention and the overall participant experience.

Keywords

• female veterans
• military
• mental health
• programming
• enrichment
• service women