Researchers at the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State, including PI and SSRI cofund Daniel Perkins, have been partners in a longitudinal study of veterans known as The Veterans Metrics Initiative: Linking Program Components to Post-Military Well-Being (TVMI Study).
The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. (HJF) launched a five-year study in 2015. The TVMI Study was collaborative, translational, metrics-related research designed to improve the well-being of veterans and their families.
“This study was the first of its kind to examine the transition of both active duty and reserve veterans from their military careers into their civilian lives,” said Joseph Caravalho, Jr., M.D., President and CEO of HJF, one of the sponsors of the TVMI study. “Our goal was to focus on the transition and reintegration experiences of veterans to provide a better understanding of the specific challenges facing them during the military-to-civilian transition.”
An innovative public-private research partnership, the TVMI Study followed 9,566 veterans in their transition from military to civilian life. The research team conducted surveys at six-month intervals over a three-year period to monitor changes in the veterans’ overall well-being. Each survey recorded well-being metrics across four domains: health (mental and physical), vocation (education and career), finances, and social relationships.
The TVMI Study achieved its aims through the development of two critical products that are both available on the HJF website: (1) the Well-Being Inventory; and (2) menus of common components used in veteran programs shown by the evidence to drive successful outcomes in the veterans’ well-being. HJF has also developed a TVMI Study Final Report that highlights key takeaways.
In the coming years, the TVMI Study results will enable the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, philanthropy organizations, and others to more effectively target their transition assistance efforts. Nearly 4,000 participants in the study have consented to be contacted to discuss possible future research studies. This acknowledges the strength of TVMI, with a strong possibility for further study.
The Clearinghouse is now engaging independently in a seventh wave of data collected through the Veterans Engaging in Transition Studies (VETS) Survey.
This research was managed by HJF and collaboratively sponsored by the Bob Woodruff Foundation, Health Net Federal Services, The Heinz Endowments, HJF, Lockheed Martin Corporation, May and Stanley Smith Charitable Trust, National Endowment for the Humanities, Northrop Grumman, Philip and Marge Odeen, Prudential, Robert R. McCormick Foundation, Rumsfeld Foundation, Schultz Family Foundation, Walmart Foundation, Wounded Warrior Project, Inc., and the Veterans Health Administration Health Services Research and Development Service.