“Then COVID happened…”: Veterans’ Health, Wellbeing, and Engagement in Whole Health Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background Little is known about the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on US military veterans’ health, wellbeing, and care engagement. Healthcare systems like VA need additional information about the pandemic’s biopsychosocial impacts and how a Whole Health approach may help to address them. Objective To...

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Autores principales:	Natalie Purcell PhD, MPA, Joanna Sells PhD, Sarah McGrath MA, Haley Mehlman BA, BS, Daniel Bertenthal MPH, Karen H Seal MD, MPH
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	SAGE Publishing 2021
Materias:	Medicine (General) R5-920 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/78b43943c3f548fe841423132c086237
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:78b43943c3f548fe841423132c0862372021-11-03T21:35:02Z“Then COVID happened…”: Veterans’ Health, Wellbeing, and Engagement in Whole Health Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic2164-956110.1177/21649561211053828https://doaj.org/article/78b43943c3f548fe841423132c0862372021-10-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1177/21649561211053828https://doaj.org/toc/2164-9561Background Little is known about the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on US military veterans’ health, wellbeing, and care engagement. Healthcare systems like VA need additional information about the pandemic’s biopsychosocial impacts and how a Whole Health approach may help to address them. Objective To examine how the pandemic has affected veterans’ health, wellbeing, and engagement in the VA Whole Health System of Care. Method We conducted qualitative interviews with 40 veterans at a large multicampus VA healthcare system during the pandemic. Informed by a Whole Health approach, interviews used open-ended questions to holistically explore pandemic impacts on mental and physical health, healthcare access and engagement, social support, coping strategies, and use of VA healthcare and wellness services. Interviews were conducted by telephone, audio-recorded, and analyzed using a matrix-based technique. Interviews were supplemented by an original survey assessing pandemic impacts; descriptive frequencies were calculated to describe and characterize the interviewed sample. Interview Results Nearly, all participating veterans described significant pandemic impacts on their wellbeing, especially loneliness and sorrow stemming from isolation and disruptions to ordinary routines. These emotional impacts—sometimes combined with new constraints on care access and personal mobility—disrupted veterans’ health plans and sometimes deterred engagement in both routine and wellness care. Veterans already struggling with chronic mental and physical health conditions and those who experienced transitions or losses during the pandemic described the most severe impacts on their wellbeing. Virtual VA wellness services, especially health coaching and mind-body wellness groups, were a key source of support and connection for those who engaged in them. Conclusion We discuss the implications of our findings for care systems attempting to implement a Whole Health System of Care, including how they can address postpandemic barriers to engagement in healthcare and wellness programs, and how wellness programs can be leveraged to support those most at risk after the COVID-19 pandemic and in future crises.Natalie Purcell PhD, MPAJoanna Sells PhDSarah McGrath MAHaley Mehlman BA, BSDaniel Bertenthal MPHKaren H Seal MD, MPHSAGE PublishingarticleMedicine (General)R5-920Public aspects of medicineRA1-1270ENGlobal Advances in Health and Medicine, Vol 10 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine (General) R5-920 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270
spellingShingle	Medicine (General) R5-920 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 Natalie Purcell PhD, MPA Joanna Sells PhD Sarah McGrath MA Haley Mehlman BA, BS Daniel Bertenthal MPH Karen H Seal MD, MPH “Then COVID happened…”: Veterans’ Health, Wellbeing, and Engagement in Whole Health Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic
description	Background Little is known about the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on US military veterans’ health, wellbeing, and care engagement. Healthcare systems like VA need additional information about the pandemic’s biopsychosocial impacts and how a Whole Health approach may help to address them. Objective To examine how the pandemic has affected veterans’ health, wellbeing, and engagement in the VA Whole Health System of Care. Method We conducted qualitative interviews with 40 veterans at a large multicampus VA healthcare system during the pandemic. Informed by a Whole Health approach, interviews used open-ended questions to holistically explore pandemic impacts on mental and physical health, healthcare access and engagement, social support, coping strategies, and use of VA healthcare and wellness services. Interviews were conducted by telephone, audio-recorded, and analyzed using a matrix-based technique. Interviews were supplemented by an original survey assessing pandemic impacts; descriptive frequencies were calculated to describe and characterize the interviewed sample. Interview Results Nearly, all participating veterans described significant pandemic impacts on their wellbeing, especially loneliness and sorrow stemming from isolation and disruptions to ordinary routines. These emotional impacts—sometimes combined with new constraints on care access and personal mobility—disrupted veterans’ health plans and sometimes deterred engagement in both routine and wellness care. Veterans already struggling with chronic mental and physical health conditions and those who experienced transitions or losses during the pandemic described the most severe impacts on their wellbeing. Virtual VA wellness services, especially health coaching and mind-body wellness groups, were a key source of support and connection for those who engaged in them. Conclusion We discuss the implications of our findings for care systems attempting to implement a Whole Health System of Care, including how they can address postpandemic barriers to engagement in healthcare and wellness programs, and how wellness programs can be leveraged to support those most at risk after the COVID-19 pandemic and in future crises.
format	article
author	Natalie Purcell PhD, MPA Joanna Sells PhD Sarah McGrath MA Haley Mehlman BA, BS Daniel Bertenthal MPH Karen H Seal MD, MPH
author_facet	Natalie Purcell PhD, MPA Joanna Sells PhD Sarah McGrath MA Haley Mehlman BA, BS Daniel Bertenthal MPH Karen H Seal MD, MPH
author_sort	Natalie Purcell PhD, MPA
title	“Then COVID happened…”: Veterans’ Health, Wellbeing, and Engagement in Whole Health Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic
title_short	“Then COVID happened…”: Veterans’ Health, Wellbeing, and Engagement in Whole Health Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic
title_full	“Then COVID happened…”: Veterans’ Health, Wellbeing, and Engagement in Whole Health Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic
title_fullStr	“Then COVID happened…”: Veterans’ Health, Wellbeing, and Engagement in Whole Health Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic
title_full_unstemmed	“Then COVID happened…”: Veterans’ Health, Wellbeing, and Engagement in Whole Health Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic
title_sort	“then covid happened…”: veterans’ health, wellbeing, and engagement in whole health care during the covid-19 pandemic
publisher	SAGE Publishing
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/78b43943c3f548fe841423132c086237
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“Then COVID happened…”: Veterans’ Health, Wellbeing, and Engagement in Whole Health Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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