JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The transition from military service to civilian life presents a variety of challenges for veterans, influenced by individual factors such as pre-military life, length of service, and deployment history. Mental health issues, physical injuries, difficulties in relationships, and identity loss compound the reintegration process. To address these challenges, various face-to-face and online programs are available, yet underutilised. This paper presents the preliminary evaluation of "Go-Beyond, navigating life beyond service®," an online psychoeducational program for veterans, comprising of topics including Beliefs about Civilians, Finding Purpose, Help Seeking, Social Connection, Resentment and Regret, Regimentation, and Effective Communication in Civilian Life.

Objective:

The study aims to identify the reach, adoption and engagement with the program, and to generate future recommendations to enhance its overall impact

Methods:

This study exclusively utilised data that was automatically and routinely collected from the start of Go-Beyond program's launch on May 24, 2021 until May 7, 2023. When accessing the Go-Beyond website, veterans are asked to complete the Military-Civilian Adjustment and Reintegration Measure (M-CARM) questionnaire which produces a unique M-CARM profile of results specifying potential areas of need on the five domains of the measure. Users were then automatically allocated to Go-Beyond modules that align with their M-CARM profile. Additionally, quantitative and qualitative data was collected from a survey on aesthetics, interactivity, user journey, and user experience, which was optional for users to complete at the end of each module.

Results:

Results show a conversion rate of 28.5% from the M-CARM survey to Go-Beyond program. This rate is notably higher compared to similar online self-help programs, such as VetChange (4.7%) and resources for gambling behaviour (14%), but lower than the MoodGYM program (42.2%). However, these comparisons should be interpreted with caution due to the limited availability of published conversion rates and varying definitions of uptake and adoption across studies. Additionally, individuals expressing a need in Purpose and Connection were approximately 1.64 times more likely to enrol (OR = 1.64, 95%CI [1.17, 2.28]) compared to those who did not. Similarly, those with the need Beliefs about Civilians were 1.50 times more likely to enrol (OR = 1.50, 95% CI [1.06, 2.18]) compared to those without this need. The completion rates for modules vary from 9.7% to 32%. Online feedback survey revealed high overall user satisfaction with Go-Beyond, emphasising its engaging content and user-friendly modules. Notably, 94% of respondents indicated they would recommend the program to other veterans, family, or friends.

Conclusions:

The Go-Beyond program may offer promising support for veterans transitioning to civilian life through digital technology. Our study reveals insights on user engagement and adoption, emphasising the need for ongoing evaluation to further address the diverse needs of military personnel. Future research should explore predictors of online engagement, the addition of peer and/or facilitator support, and the use of outcome measures for effectiveness assessment.