Understanding the Victimization of US Army Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans in US Public

Previous research suggests that public estimates of mental health problems in US veterans who returned from the deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan exceed actual concerns. The present project examines how sociodemographic factors may contribute to victimising perceptions of US Army Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans by conducting a free word-association task. A total of 245 US participants provided three open-ended word associations to 'US Army Iraq Veterans' and 'US Army Afghanistan Veteran' and completed a sociodemographic questionnaire. Multiple linear regressions outline that higher social distance towards US Army Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans predicts elevated victimisation scores. A semi-structured, qualitative interview study examined the underlying rationalities of victimising sentiments in 10 participants with no contact and 10 participants with close contact with US Army Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans. The thematic analysis suggests that social distance towards US Army Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans mitigates the victimisation and stigmatisation of veterans. This was the case as those with close contact to US Army Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans had explicit knowledge about which jobs veterans accomplished. In contrast, those who did not know US Army Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans equated deployments with killing, front-line fighting and witnessing atrocities. Implications and conclusions are discussed.