The Emotional Experience in Transitioning from Military Service to Civilian Life: A Scoping Review Protocol

#	FIRST AUTHOR AND YEAR	STUDY TITLE	JOURNAL/TYPE OF STUDY
1.	Ahmadi-Montecalvo et al. (2025)	Examining health-related social needs and their association with stress and mental health among US Veterans using 2022 behavioral risk factor surveillance system (BRFSS) data	Discover Public Health; Quantitative
2.	Ainspan et al. (2018)	Psychosocial approaches to improving the military-to-civilian transition process	Psychological Services; Narrative review of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods
3.	Albright et al. (2018)	Barriers and resources for veterans’ post-military transitioning in south Alabama: A qualitative analysis	Traumatology; Qualitative
4.	Albright et al. (2019)	When women veterans return: The role of postsecondary education in transition in their civilian lives	Journal of American College Health; Quantitative
5.	Alruwaili et al. (2023)	Supporting the Frontlines: A Scoping Review Addressing the Health Challenges of Military Personnel and Veterans	Healthcare; Scoping review of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods
6.	Angel et al. (2018)	Team Red, White & Blue: A community-based model for harnessing positive social networks to enhance enrichment outcomes in military veterans reintegrating to civilian life	TBM (Translational Behavioral Medicine); Mixed-methods
7.	Angel et al. (2020)	The Enriched Life Scale (ELS): Development, exploratory factor analysis, and preliminary construct validity for U.S. military veteran and civilian samples	TBM (Translational Behavioral Medicine); Quantitative
8.	Bennett et al. (2015)	Survey of retired military pharmacist’s transition to a civilian pharmacy career path	Military Medicine; Quantitative
9.	Bond et al. (2022)	Transition from military service: Mental health and well-being among service members and veterans with service-connected disabilities	The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research; Quantitative
10.	Borowski et al. (2021)	Work-family conflict and subsequent depressive symptoms among war-exposed post-9/11 U.S. military Veterans	Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health; Quantitative
11.	Buzzetta et al. (2020)	Student veterans: Meaning in life, negative career thoughts, and depression	The Career Development Quarterly; Quantitative
12.	Castro et al. (2015)	The combat veteran paradox: Paradoxes and dilemmas encountered with reintegrating combat veterans and the agencies that support them	Traumatology; Qualitative
13.	Cheney et al. (2025)	Transitioning between institutions: Social (re)location and positionality in student veteran health and well-being	Human Organization; Mixed-methods
14.	DeLucia & Kennedy (2021)	A veteran-focused art therapy program: co-research to strengthen art therapy effectiveness	International Journal of Art Therapy; Qualitative
15.	Derefinko et al. (2019)	Perceived Needs of Veterans Transitioning from the Military to Civilian Life	The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research; Qualitative
16.	Dexter (2020)	Human resources challenges of military to civilian employment transitions	Career Development International; Qualitative
17.	DiGangi et al. (2018)	Differential impact of post-deployment stress and PTSD on neural reactivity to emotional stimuli in Iraq and Afghanistan veterans	Journal of Psychiatric Research; Quantitative
18.	Edwards et al. (2023)	Supporting the nation’s transitioning veterans: Narrative review of practices and recommendations for psychotherapy and counseling of veterans separating from military service	Psychological Services; Narrative review of quantitative and qualitative
19.	Edwards et al. (2026)	Veteran suicide thoughts and attempts during the transition from military service to civilian life: Qualitative insights	Death Studies; Mixed-methods
20.	Elnitsky et al. (2017)	Military service member and veteran reintegration: A conceptual analysis, unified definition, and key domains	Frontiers in Psychology; Qualitative
21.	Ferruolo (2016)	Psychosocial equine program for veterans	Social Work; Mixed-methods
22.	Fischer et al. (2015)	Perspectives of family and veterans on family programs to support reintegration of returning veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder	Psychological Services; Qualitative
23.	Geraci et al. (2020)	The modern-day Odysseus: How mental health providers can better reintegrate modern warriors and mitigate suicide risk	Journal of Clinical Psychology; Qualitative
24.	Harrod et al. (2017)	“I’ve never been able to stay in a job”: A qualitative study of veterans’ experiences of maintaining employment	Work; Qualitative
25.	Hirst (2021)	“Videogames Saved My Life”: Everyday Resistance and Ludic Recovery among US Military Veterans	International Political Sociology; Qualitative
26.	Kahn et al. (2016)	Post-9/11 veterans and their partners improve mental health outcomes with a self-directed mobile and Web-based wellness training program: A randomized controlled trial	Journal of Medical Internet Research; Quantitative
27.	Keeling (2024)	Stories of transition: U.S. veterans’ narratives of transition to civilian life and the important role of identity	Journal of Military, Veteran, and Family Health; Qualitative
28.	Kukla et al. (2015)	Mixed methods study examining work reintegration experiences from perspectives of Veterans with mental health disorders	Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development; Mixed-methods
29.	Lake & Branson (2021)	Eusocial theory of suicide risk: Clinical presentations and commentary: Science and Practice	Clinical Psychology; Qualitative
30.	Libin et al. (2017)	Perspectives of veterans with mild traumatic brain injury on community reintegration: Making sense of unplanned separation from service	American Journal of Orthopsychiatry; Qualitative
31.	Mamon et al. (2020)	Connecting Veterans and Their Community Through Narrative: Pilot Data on a Community Strengthening Intervention	Community Mental Health Journal; Mixed-methods
32.	Matthieu et al. (2018)	Veterans volunteering: An emerging practice and satisfaction with a civic service program for U.S. veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan	Best Practices in Mental Health; Mixed-methods
33.	Meca et al. (2020)	The role of United States identity in adjustment among veterans	Military Psychology; Quantitative
34.	Miloslavich et al. (2026)	Anger mediates the relationship between changes in alcohol use and violence: A longitudinal examination among Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans	Psychological Trauma; Quantitative
35.	Morton et al. (2025)	Loneliness after service veteran loneliness and exclusion by veterans and nonveterans in Cyberball	Journal of Psychiatric Research; Quantitative
36.	Olsen & Jette (2025)	Exploring CrossFit as a Site of Transition for Wounded Veterans: A Thematic Analysis	Palaestra; Qualitative
37.	Pebole et al. (2026)	Veterans’ perspectives on two transdiagnostic group workshops to improve military to civilian reintegration: A comparative thematic analysis	Psychological Services; Mixed-methods
38.	Raabe et al. (2024)	Facilitating United States Service Members’ Transition Out of the Military: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective	Journal of Career Development; Qualitative
39.	Rattray et al. (2023)	Learning from women veterans who navigate invisible injuries, caregiving, and reintegration challenges	BMC Women’s Health; Qualitative
40.	Russell & Russell (2018)	It’s not just showing up: How social identification with a Veterans Service Organization relates to benefit-finding and social isolation among veterans	Psychological Services; Quantitative
41.	Saunders et al. (2023)	Bended womanhood bended back: The intersection of race, gender, and culture in women of color veterans and their transition into higher education	Journal of Diversity in Higher Education; Qualitative
42.	Senecal et al. (2021)	The Formation of Antisocial Tendencies in Veterans via Combat Excitement	Peace and Conflict; Qualitative
43.	Shankle et al. (2023)	Transitioning from military to civilian life: The Ohio story	Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology; Qualitative
44.	Shue et al. (2021)	The career transition experiences of military Veterans: A qualitative study	Military Psychology; Qualitative
45.	Silvestrini & Chen (2023)	“It’s a sign of weakness”: Masculinity and help-seeking behaviors among male veterans accessing posttraumatic stress disorder care	Psychological Trauma; Qualitative
46.	Sokol et al. (2021)	The deadly gap: Understanding suicide among veterans transitioning out of the military	Psychiatry Research; Narrative review of qualitative
47.	Stanley & Larsen (2019)	Emotion Dysregulation and Military Suicidality Since 2001: A Review of the Literature	Political Psychology; Literature review of qualitative
48.	Vetro-Kalseth et al. (2021)	Treatment description and case series report of a phased music therapy group to support Veteran reintegration	Military Psychology; Qualitative

Table 2

Emotion and Circumstance Frequencies.

EMOTION	EMOTION COUNT	CIRCUMSTANCE	CIRCUMSTANCE COUNT
Anger	47	Betrayal by a trusted person	12
Anger		Feeling dismissed or ignored	9
Anger		Injustice or unfair treatment	11
Anger		Interrupted plans or goals	7
Anger		Verbal attack or criticism	8
Anxiety	63	Academic or work performance pressure	14
Anxiety		Financial uncertainty	10
Anxiety		Health-related fears	12
Anxiety		Social evaluation or judgment	15
Anxiety		Uncertainty about the future	12
Contempt	18	Encountering perceived incompetence	6
Contempt		Moral or ethical disagreement	7
Contempt		Status or superiority perception	5
Disgust	22	Ethical or moral violations	9
Disgust		Exposure to offensive content	7
Disgust		Physical contaminant exposure	6
Embarrassment	29	Failing publicly at a task	8
Embarrassment		Public correction or reprimand	7
Embarrassment		Social norm violation	9
Embarrassment		Unwanted attention from others	5
Envy	24	Observing others’ achievements	10
Envy		Perceived unfair advantage of others	8
Envy		Social comparison on appearance	6
Fear	54	Dark or unfamiliar environments	7
Fear		Physical danger or threat	15
Fear		Potential loss of a loved one	12
Fear		Social rejection or exclusion	11
Fear		Uncertainty and loss of control	9
Grief	38	Death of a loved one	16
Grief		End of a significant relationship	10
Grief		Loss of a cherished opportunity	7
Grief		Loss of health or capability	5
Guilt	33	Acting against one’s own values	9
Guilt		Failing to meet responsibilities	11
Guilt		Harm caused to another person	8
Guilt		Neglecting a relationship	5
Happiness	71	Achieving a personal goal	15
Happiness		Acts of kindness received	9
Happiness		Celebrations and social gatherings	13
Happiness		Family or romantic connection	14
Happiness		New positive experiences	10
Happiness		Unexpected, pleasant surprises	10
Hope	41	Anticipation of positive change	13
Hope		New opportunity or possibility	14
Hope		Recovery or improvement in health	8
Hope		Support from others	6
Jealousy	27	Perceived romantic rivalry	10
Jealousy		Sibling or peer comparison	9
Jealousy		Workplace recognition given to others	8
Loneliness	35	Being in an unfamiliar place	7
Loneliness		Disconnection from social community	10
Loneliness		Feeling misunderstood	9
Loneliness		Lack of meaningful relationships	9
Love	58	Deep friendship or platonic bond	11
Love		Parental or familial affection	14
Love		Romantic partnership	18
Love		Sense of belonging to a group	9
Love		Spiritual or communal connection	6
Pride	46	Academic or professional achievement	13
Pride		Helping others succeed	9
Pride		Overcoming a personal challenge	12
Pride		Recognition of effort by others	7
Pride		Witnessing a loved one’s success	5
Regret	31	Choosing comfort over growth	8
Regret		Failing to act when needed	10
Regret		Missed relationship opportunities	7
Regret		Words said in anger	6
Relief	36	Completion of a stressful task	11
Relief		Danger or threat passing	10
Relief		Positive medical or test outcome	9
Relief		Reconciliation after conflict	6
Sadness	52	Disappointment in self or others	11
Sadness		Empathy for another’s suffering	9
Sadness		Failure to reach a meaningful goal	10
Sadness		Separation from loved ones	13
Sadness		Witnessing suffering or loss in the world	9
Shame	28	Falling short of personal ideals	9
Shame		Perceived moral failure	8
Shame		Public exposure of a private matter	7
Shame		Social rejection or humiliation	4
Surprise	20	Encountering an unexpected event	9
Surprise		Receiving unexpected news	7
Surprise		Sudden change in environment	4
TOTAL CC			773

[i] Note. Emotions are organized alphabetically. EC = Emotion Count, which reflects total instances of that emotion across all circumstances. CC = Circumstance Count, which reflects instances for that specific emotion–circumstance pairing. Overall total EC Categories = 20. Overall total CC = 773.