The Promise of a Retreat: Perspectives of U.S. Women Veterans and Interdisciplinary Experts on the Development of a Retreat-Based Suicide Prevention Program for Violence-Exposed Women Veterans

To supplement the mental health programming offered to women veterans within the Veterans Health Administration, a retreat-based suicide prevention program could foster healing through social connection and holistic health. However, no study has investigated retreat-based suicide prevention program...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Presseau, Candice (Author) ; Walls, Sarah A. (Author) ; Murray-Swank, Nichole (Author) ; Portnoy, Galina A. (Author) ; Decker, Suzanne E. (Author) ; Kroll-Desrosiers, Aimee (Author) ; Martino, Steve 1959- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2026
In: Violence against women
Year: 2026, Volume: 32, Issue: 1, Pages: 24-46
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Keywords:
Trauma-informed
Connection
retreat programming
women veterans
Suicide Prevention
Description
Summary:To supplement the mental health programming offered to women veterans within the Veterans Health Administration, a retreat-based suicide prevention program could foster healing through social connection and holistic health. However, no study has investigated retreat-based suicide prevention program components relevant for violence-exposed women veterans. To address this gap, we conducted focus groups with women veterans and semi-structured interviews with interdisciplinary subject matter experts to examine perceptions, beliefs, concerns, and preferences related to a retreat-based suicide prevention program for women veterans. Emergent themes included interest and appeal, concerns about program execution, and program preferences. Findings suggest that both women veterans and experts agree that a retreat-based suicide prevention program for women veterans is a promising and welcomed prevention strategy that may reduce suicide risk. Both interest groups emphasized that programming should be trauma-informed with training for program facilitators and attention to group dynamics.
ISSN:1552-8448
DOI:10.1177/10778012241303471