Excavating the past and (re)finding myself: Why and in what ways do veterans and providers believe archaeology supports mental health and wellbeing?

Abstract

Participation in heritage and archaeology is increasingly offered in the community to support mental health and wellbeing, particularly to groups experiencing mental health challenges. One such group are military veterans, who experience higher rates of mental health challenges and lower help-seeking behaviour than the general population. Since 2011 archaeological projects have been offered to veterans to support transition and mental health and wellbeing. As such, provision has become increasingly framed as an intervention, with evaluation focused on mental health and wellbeing outcomes. However, there is little understanding of why and how archaeology has a positive impact. Adopting an interpretative qualitative approach, this study explored veterans’ and providers’ perceptions of how and why archaeology supports mental health and wellbeing. Interviews with five UK veterans and four providers of UK projects were conducted and analysed using thematic analysis. Three themes were developed, each with three subthemes. Connection and belonging captured feelings of projects being a safe space, experiences of comradeship and peer support, and outcomes related to building social networks. Authenticity and purpose concerned the importance of participating authentically, contributing purposefully, and how participation was a catalyst for change. Meaning-making through the past explored how veterans make meaning through acts of remembrance, the important supporting role of professionals, and subsequent changes in wellbeing and mental health. The findings support the long-held assumption that archaeology is a powerful non-clinical intervention for veterans. In addition, potential mechanisms are suggested that must be explored further if they are to improve practice in this area