Photo by Bermix Studio on Unsplash

We  are so fortunate as a research network to meet many early career  researchers doing amazing work, one topic which always gets lots of  interest is the 'welfare of veterans and military families'. So we made  it our monthly theme for March to tie in with the Forces in Mind Trust  conference. So, why did we choose the 'welfare of veterans and military  families' as our focus?

We've all heard of the shell shock suffered by soldiers in the First  World War and in recent decades the phrase 'Post Traumatic Stress  Disorder' (PTSD) has embedded itself in the public lexicon. There is  now an acceptance that to be faced with the horrors of war may mean the  ultimate sacrifice but for those who return there is an increasing  recognition of the legacy of war. But, reflecting the breadth of new  research, much of which is featured elsewhere in this newsletter, we  wanted to open up a conversation inclusive of PTSD but which goes beyond  it too, one that asks about the whole person and recognises the impacts  on military partners and families too.

We have another jam-packed newsletter for you with 'in the news' coming  from our very own DRN alumni, a very well attended Twitter Hour to  report on, a focus on research clusters and centres, a bunch of  fascinating reports and articles on our theme as well as an early career  researcher spotlight. So, read on, enjoy and share with us anything  you'd like to see in April's newsletter on the theme of 'maritime  operations'.

Hannah West and Jemma Humphries
Co-Chairs of the Defence Research Network

See the full newsletter here: Welfare of Veterans and Military Families

Visit the Newsletter Catalogue to catch up on all our past issues!