Families, recovery & lived experience
Recovery is rarely one person's alone.
When a Veteran serves, their family serves right alongside them. They handle the relocations, juggle demands at home, and often shoulder the heavy lifting of finding help. That's why our centre prioritizes family perspective and engagement, ensuring that no one gets left behind in recovery and support.
Our active engagement with Veterans and their spouses has shown time and time again that family and social networks often dictate whether a Veteran starts and sticks with treatment. As one participant put it, the people around him were "like a lifeline." Using this realization as a guide, our Centre is asking how family members can be included in formal care plans. In doing so, making care better for the whole family. After all, if a Veteran's support system is essential to their recovery, the healthcare system needs to make a real place for them.
We are proud to partner with Garnet Families, a community network created by the Families Matter Research Group at Queen’s University. Through this partnership, the Centre's findings are feeding into a growing research community driven by a single core belief: the families of those who serve deserve resources and support in their own right.
National scan of family services in Canada.
A 2024 inventory of services available to Canadian Veteran families — mapped by type, cost, geographic reach, and evaluation status.
Open the scanActive projects.
Integrating Families Into Veteran Care Pathways: Enhancing Support For Improved Veteran Wellbeing
Families play an important role in supporting Veterans’ health and recovery, but are not always included in care. This study will bring together Veterans, families, and service providers to identify barriers and explore ways to better include families in Veteran care. The findings may help develop practical recommendations for family-inclusive care and improve support and wellbeing for Veterans and their families.
Better including families in Veteran care may strengthen recovery, improve care, and support the wellbeing of both Veterans and their families.
Needs Assessment To Identify Priority Health Research Areas For Women And Diverse Members In The Canadian Armed Forces
This study will identify gaps in health research for women and diverse groups in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). Researchers will review existing evidence and gather input from stakeholders to identify and prioritize important areas for future research. Findings may help guide more inclusive health research that better reflects the needs of CAF members.
Identifying gaps in health research may help ensure future studies better reflect the needs of women and diverse groups in the Canadian Armed Forces.
Journey To Enhanced Services: Identifying Factors For Improved Mental Health Care Access For Veterans And Families
This study will review existing research on Veterans’ and families’ experiences accessing mental health care after military service. Researchers will identify barriers and factors that support access to care, including finances, social support, housing, life skills, culture, and overall health. Findings may help identify ways to improve mental health services and support Veterans and their families during the transition to civilian life.
Understanding barriers and supports to mental health care during the transition from military to civilian life may help improve access to services for Veterans and their families.
What we've published on this work.
- Younger, W., St. Cyr, K., Gargala, D., Dempster, K., Ein, N., Nazarov, A., & Richardson, JD. · 2026Experiences of loneliness and their relation to perceived social support, family functioning, and mental health among Canadian VeteransJournal of Military, Veteran and Family Health
- Mulligan, A., Lamrock, L., Hosseiny, F., Alves, J., Manteuffel, M., Haagen, J., Nazarov, A., Fossey, M., & Notarianni, M. · 2026Beyond the uniform: An international call for a mental health framework that addresses the needs of military and Veteran families during transitionJournal of Military, Veteran and Family HealthRead the briefing →
- Gervasio, J., Ein, N., Liu, JJW., Baker, C., Roberts, L., Umucu, E., Held, N., Hosseiny, F., Colclough, M., Phelps, A., Abreu, E., Lau, B., Nazarov, A., & Richardson, JD. · 2025Drivers and barriers to experience in adaptive sporting events: A systematic review and call for further researchJournal of Military Veteran and Family Health
- Soares, V., Deda, E., Houle, SA., St. Cyr, K., Forchuk, CA., Plouffe, RA., Liu, JJW., Cramm, H., Nazarov, A., & Richardson, JD. · 2025Challenges and facilitators for mental health care for operational stress injuries in the military: A qualitative studyJournal of Military, Veteran and Family Health
- Trahair, C., Forchuk, CA., Plouffe, RA., Hansen, KT., Richardson, JD., & Nazarov, A. · 2025Barriers to mental health support among Canadian Veterans: Complicating factors of confidentiality and moral injuryJournal of Military, Veteran and Family Health