a student-driven applied analysis of medical anthropology anthropology summer ethnographic field...
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A Student-Driven Applied Analysis of Medical Anthropology
Anthropology Summer Ethnographic Field School 2011WGVU Studio, Grand Valley State University
June 22, 2011
ObjectivesLearn and use anthropological methods
Assess healthcare status of veterans in West Michigan
Intervention to improve veterans health & well-being
Share findings with concerned parties
Why is this study important?22.7 million veterans in US, over 700, 000 in MI
Veterans not well represented in healthcare literature
Veterans may not be receiving adequate healthcare
Veterans’ healthcare status needs assessment
Why is this study important? Continued.Veterans rate of suicide is twice as high compared to
the general population
20% of returning veterans have PTSD or major
depression
12.7% of the U.S. population are veterans, yet 23% of
the homeless population are veterans
Demographics
Michigan ranks 11th in veteran population
MI spends the least per capita on veterans of any
state
Only 7% of veterans are females
Demographics: ContinuedThe U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA)
Over 800 primary care clinics
The largest healthcare service in the U.S. for
veterans
About 30% of veterans use the VA
In MI, around 17% of veterans use the VA
Methods of the StudyVeterans were contacted using convenience
samplingStudents were sent in groups to interview these
veteransVideo and Audio recordedEthnographic reportsQuestionnaires
Life histories, participant observation and Focus group discussions
Methods: Interviews5 groups of students conducted interviews53 veterans were interviewed over a 5 week
period of timeEach interview lasted from 30 to 120 minutesEach group kept a field diary and wrote an
ethnographic reportThese findings were compiled into a final report
Qualitative FindingsMost veterans do not use VA healthcare
Unaware of available benefits
Don’t feel deserving of benefits if healthy
Difficulty with paperwork and policies
Inefficiency in receiving benefits
Lack of contact with VA post-service
Qualitative FindingsThose who have utilized VA services are often
dissatisfied with their experience
Disparities in quality of facilities across MichiganWest Michigan facilities outdated and unable to
meet demandInconvenient VA hospital and clinic locationsLack of continuity with primary healthcare providerPresence of foreign-born medical professionals
within VA facilities may limit communication
Findings: Combat Vs. Marital Status
According to the study, veterans that saw combat had significantly higher divorce rates and lower marriage rates than
veterans that did not see combat.
Findings: Age Vs. Transitioning Home
N=98
According to this study, the youngest group of veterans, aged 44 or below, are having a harder transitioning home than older
veterans did.
Findings: Age Vs. Health Problems
According to the study, the youngest veterans had a higher rate of having health problems then the older veterans.
Findings: VA Benefits Vs. Job Satisfaction
According to this study, veterans that use VA benefits had a higher rate of dissatisfaction with their jobs than veterans that do
not use VA benefits.
Field Experience
• Gaining a greater
appreciation of veterans
• Becoming personally
invested in veteran well-
being
• Overcoming the
obstacles of participant
observations
Recommendations
Continue flexible and adaptive GI Bill
Improve advertisement according to region’s
needs
Encourage doctors to work with VA
Provide adequate debriefing for returning
veterans
Recommendations
Include marriage and family counseling benefits
Make VFW and American Legion posts more
attractive
Increase community and employment support
Conclusions
Marital counseling for combat veterans is needed.
Thorough debriefing for veterans coming home
Needs a comprehensive follow-up
Mental health awareness should be improved.
Consistent PTSD screening
All veterans need to be acknowledged and
appreciated for their service and their sacrifices.
What We Learned
Encouraged to learn more about veterans
Gained an increased respect for veterans
The military shapes the lives of veterans
Most veterans take pride in their time in the
military
Their healthcare can be inadequate for their
specific needs
Thank You!The Field School like to show its gratitude to the
following:VeteransGoodwill organizationGrand Rapids Home for Veterans: Tiffany CarrWGVU: Timothy EernisseCLAS Dean: Frederick AntczakHuman Research Protection Committee - HRPCCenter for Scholarly Creative Excellence - CSCEDean of Students Office: Steven LipnickiDirector of Institutional Analysis: Phillip BattyVoiceover: John HowardDepartment of Anthropology
Discussion