Coping strategies employed by black women in South African National Defence Force (SANDF) post deployment-related trauma

Soldiers encounter traumatic events during deployment that can have negative consequences on their mental and physical well-being. However, there is dearth of research studies that focuses on coping with trauma amongst the SANDF members following deployment, especially women. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to explore the lived experiences of Black women in the  SANDF and how they cope following deployment-related trauma. Data was collected by means of semi structured interviews among six participants who provided a rich detailed description of their lived experiences and coping strategies they used following a traumatic encounter. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to interpret and analyse the data gathered. The findings of the study illuminated participants’ lived experiences of deployment, and the coping strategies they utilised following deployment-related trauma. The participants highlighted the emotional and psychological manifestations of their traumatic experiences, the role of their support system, as well as the barriers to seeking psychological services. They also highlighted positive aspects, shared lessons they learned from deployment and as well as challenges they were confronted with both during and post deployment. Given the complexity of trauma, it is therefore recommended that future studies look at the effectiveness of existing interventions put in place to combat the effects of deployment related-trauma in the SANDF, as well as the impact of deployment on the family of deployed soldier.