Dr. Gina Maiocco conducted a qualitative study with eight women veterans who attend West Virginia University, where she is a professor of nursing. Maiocco was a flight nurse with the Air Force and was stationed in Greece in the 1980s.
Because she is also a veteran, she has an instant rapport with the veterans she interviewed.
“We got an earful,” she said. Maiocco said the women suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, chronic pain and anger issues.
Surprisingly, they all had mixed emotions about coming home. One of the women went so far as to say it felt like she was shedding her skin, Maiocco said.
“They loved what they did and they’re very proud of that,” she said.
Coming home presents another set of issues for women vets, who don’t want to participate in veterans groups with men because they don’t feel safe, Maiocco said. They are also less likely to seek help through the Veterans Administration.
