Measuring Social Integration Well-Being Among Veterans: A Systematic Review of Instruments Publisher

Summary: How can veterans’ civilian adjustment be measured? A review favored the Social Connectedness Measure for Canadian veterans, pending further validation. #Veterans #MentalHealth

Torabiardakani K ; Zani B ; Bravo Soto G ; Karam S G ; Moradi S ; Alameddine D ; Azizi B ; Couban R J ; Bailey E ; Hoppe T ; Le Scelleur H ; Busse J W ; Darzi A J
Source: Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health Published:2026

Abstract

Veterans face several challenges when returning to civilian life, including social integration (SI); however, optimal strategies to measure this construct are uncertain. The authors conducted a systematic review to identify and appraise instruments measuring SI. The MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and ERIC databases were searched through Oct. 2, 2023, for studies reporting instruments measuring SI, with no restrictions based on geographical setting. The COSMIN instrument was used to assess risk of bias of eligible studies and measurement properties of identified instruments. Three Veteran partners who were members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) independently reviewed and assessed all instruments' clarity and applicability to Veterans. The authors identified 37 instruments evaluating SI. Of these, 18 (49%) showed sufficient structural validity, 25 (68%) sufficient internal consistency, 1 (3%) sufficient cross-cultural validity, 7 (19%) sufficient test-retest reliability, 2 (5%) sufficient criterion validity, and 25 (68%) sufficient hypothesis testing for construct validity. Four had sufficient psychometrics: Strathclyde Citizenship Measure (SCM), Enfranchisement Participation (EP), Well-Being Inventory (WBI), and Social Integration in Later Life Scale (SILLS). CAF Veteran partners rated all four instruments as clear but found only the SCM to be highly applicable; the other tools did not fully reflect Canadian Veteran transition experiences, including Canadian military culture and post-service identity. Among the instruments with sufficient psychometrics and endorsed by Veteran partners, the SCM is the most promising and applicable to Veterans but requires further validation before use. The EP, SILLS, and WBI may need further augmentation and validation before use. © Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research, 2026. Requests for permission to reproduce this article should be made to the University of Toronto Press. Please visit https://utppublishing.com/resources/rights-and-permissions/journals for details.