RESUMO
Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) provides support and raises public awareness for service members and veterans who incurred physical or mental injury, illness, or wound coincident to their military service on or after September 11, 2001, as well as their families and caregivers. Through WWP, members (Alumni) have access to programs that support four main areas of recovery-engagement, mind, body, and economic empowerment. Using 2014 WWP Annual Alumni Survey data, RAND researchers offer a detailed analysis of how Alumni of different genders, races and ethnicities, military service histories, and service-related health conditions fare in terms of mental health, physical health, and economic well-being. The study also offers recommendations for the organization's decisionmakers to consider in setting goals and creating programs to support WWP Alumni.
RESUMO
The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) offers support and raises public awareness of service members who have experienced physical or mental health conditions associated with their service on or after September 11, 2001. In this study, the authors use WWP's 2013 survey of its members (alumni) to understand the physical, mental, and economic challenges that Wounded Warriors face. The researchers find that at least half of alumni reported dealing with mental health conditions such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder, and many of these alumni reported difficulties or delays in seeking mental health care, or not doing so at all. Alcohol misuse also poses a problem. A large proportion of alumni are overweight or obese, conditions that negatively affect their daily lives, exercise routines, and overall health. Almost half of alumni are not working, and there is low participation in veteran-specific employment and education programs. This information can be used to better understand the needs of WWP alumni and the ways that WWP can serve and support this constituency.
