The interaction of the family system with the state of being a invalid veteran: An Example of the Turkish War Veterans, Martyr Widows and Orphans Association

Veterans are known to experience many biopsychosocial problems requiring social work interventions. It is important to determine the interaction of disabled veterans with the family system, which are an important power factor in coping with biopsychosocial problems. In this study, it was aimed to determine the interactions of disabled veterans with spouse and parent roles in the family system. The research constitutes one of the few studies that examine the veterans and family system together. The research was designed in the phenomenological research design, one of the qualitative research methods. In the research, semi-structured interview form prepared by the researcher was used as the data collection tool. The interviews were held at the Istanbul Branch of the Turkish War Disabled Veterans, Martyr Widows and Orphans Association. The data obtained from the in-depth interviews were transferred to the Word environment and analysed by the researcher in line with the phenomenological approach. Veterans and their families often had to deal with biopsychosocial problems without psychosocial support in the post-injury period. The veteran status interacts in various ways with the relationships in the spouse system and the parent-child sub-system, the relationships they establish with individuals from their family of origin, and the relationships established in public life. As a result of the research, together with the findings about the interaction of veterans with the family system, their socio-economic status from their perspective, the perception of being a veteran in the society, and their views on social work in the army were also reached. Social service interventions are needed to strengthen veterans and their families and to increase their welfare in order for the family to be a system that increases the resilience of veterans in the process that starts with injury.