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This article aims to expand our understanding of military culture as it relates to gender and veterans' mental health, drawing from rich qualitative data. Fifty in-depth interviews (25 men, 25 women) were conducted with veterans who had a recent suicide attempt (within 6 months). Interviews revealed major themes of unequal standards and a hostile environment in the military. Women strived to fit in and experienced differential treatment in their physical training, professional expectations, and family life; men recollected masculine bonds and camaraderie through drinking. Women described the hostile environment of the military through their experiences of sexual violence and both genders described a culture of silence where signs of weakness were shamed. Findings support a cultural shift toward equitable gender norms for military members. Policy should focus on increased transparency institutionally—and between members—as well as improving protection and response to reported abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To understand barriers and facilitators to engaging in community activities for increasing social connectedness among recently psychiatrically hospitalized veterans, a population at elevated risk for suicide. Method: We completed 30 semistructured qualitative interviews with veterans within 1 week of discharge from inpatient psychiatric hospitalization. Our interviews focused on understanding past and current barriers, facilitators, and needs for engaging in community activities after psychiatric hospitalization. Data were analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach. Results: Veterans shared feeling a lack of belonging and discussed several barriers to community engagement including lack of self-confidence, limited knowledge of opportunities, and negative expectations. Veterans identified several ways to facilitate engagement in community activities such as centralizing information on community activities and providing active support posthospitalization. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: Veterans by and large valued community and the role of community activities for increasing social connectedness. However, more active intervention for supporting engagement in community activities appears necessary to facilitate connection posthospitalization. Impact and Implications: Engaging in community activities may be a helpful strategy to help veterans increase social connectedness after psychiatric hospitalization, a critical period for suicide risk. Veterans shared several barriers and facilitators that impact their future and current engagement in community activities. Clinicians may wish to pay special attention to historical challenges to connection and negative expectations as well as the need for active support for engaging in community activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]