Population Health and Wellbeing research group

BNTVA AGM 20th-22nd May 2016

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Becky Alexis-Martin Primary Investigator

Research Fellow in Human Geography

Previous expertise in nuclear geographies, radiation protection, radiation emergency

survivors, social statistics, demography and population studies.

Joshua GreenResearch Assistant

Research Fellow in Human Geography

Previous expertise in sociology, mental health, visual ethnography, and qualitative approaches to

human geography.

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Prior to the CTBT in 1996, thousands of British men worked on military atomic weapons testing across the globe during the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

Work was conducted across British colonies in the South Pacific and Australia.

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These men returned home to their families after working with ionising radiation. There was uncertainty surrounding the immediate health effects, and also the hereditary impacts of any potential radiation exposure.

There are still many unanswered questions...

“I became concerned about

any potential effects to my

family, after my daughters

developed fibromyalgia…”

“I am the child of a nuclear test

veteran, and I experience some

difficulties with my health…I

could do with more support

really.”

“We worried about him a lot

during my childhood, but

he couldn’t talk about his

experiences…”

“I am so proud of my father

and the work he did. I miss

him so much though…”

“I experience anxiety and

depression, some days it can

be quite hard. You just get on

with it though, don’t you?”

?

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What do we want to talk about with the children of nuclear veterans?

• We want to learn if and how your family interactions might have changed, during the time when your father left or returned from nuclear weapons testing.

• We want to hear about any major family events, from weddings and celebrations, sickness and bereavement.

• We want to understand the impact that it may have had on you as a child, and how this translates to your perceptions as an adult.• We want to learn about your own relationships and interaction

with your local community, as an adult.• Also, your attitudes to things like risk and radiation.

• We want to talk to you about your health, quality of life, family, friends and the bigger life decisions, to build up a picture of your experiences and to learn how this may have been influenced by your position.

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This phase of research aims to explore, identify and document any human and social impacts to the families of the British Nuclear Test Veterans.

We are going to talk to as many of you as possible to identify themes and connections across your experiences of:

• Disability • Family, Community and Society• Mental health• Welfare• Wellbeing

We will use this material to build up a portrait of your lives as a collective community, which will help us to understand how being part of a nuclear test

veteran family may have had an impact on important aspects of your life such as relationships, perceptions of risk and personal wellbeing…

We hope that this work will be used to inform policy and to identify some of the diverse needs of the British nuclear test veteran family community.

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An initial confidential and anonymous self-reporting online questionnaire to identify the need for human and social sciences research, and the priorities for

nuclear veteran families.

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Yes No

Number of respondents

Do you feel as though having a family member with veteran status has had an

influence or impact upon your life?

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An initial confidential and anonymous online questionnaire to identify human and social sciences research criteria and priorities for nuclear veteran families.

Do you feel as though any of the following aspects of your life have been influenced?

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Number of respondents

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Exploring the impact of social media groups upon nuclear test veteran family community support and wellbeing.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a self-selecting cohort of participants, to discover their experiences of using social media groups for veteran family members.

Initial findings:

Social media groups provide opportunities for veterans and their families to share multimedia information about the history and culture of the nuclear test veterans. • This improves their understanding of family heritage, creates feelings of closeness and

reconnection with absent or deceased veteran family members, and develops empathy and understanding of their family experiences, through connection with other veterans and descendants.

Groups also provide informal support for family members who are experiencing trauma and/or crisis due to bereavement, separation, or physical/mental health challenges.

• Important, supportive, and mutually-beneficial relationships are formed between group members with shared experiences. Support is both online and “in real life”. However, there is a place for formal support and counselling within this domain.

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Semi-structured individual interview approach

“Semi-structured interviews are simply conversations in which you know what you want to find out about” (Fylan, 2005)

This approach will provide you with the opportunity to contribute your personal experiences to social science in complete confidence and confidentiality.

The interview series will cover some of the most pertinent indicators of your wellbeing, to discern your current lived experiences, and to identify whether the needs of your community are currently being met.

The interview series will also be implemented to document your lived experiences from an academic perspective, and there will be a series of academic papers produced from this study which will explore welfare and interaction with the state, mental health, wellbeing and disability, family dynamics, society and stigma.

Some semi-structured individual interview study participants will be selected to participate in further group work.

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Group workshops to explore veteran-descendant relationships, family dynamics, experiences of stigma and perceptions of risk

“A carefully planned discussion designed to obtain perceptions on a defined area of interest in a permissive, non-threatening environment” (Krueger, 1994: 6)

A group-based approach enables us to learn more about how you interact with each other, and to discover more about your collective memories, thoughts, opinions and experiences of important social issues that are relevant to the nuclear community.

The priority for these groups is the exploration of your own personal experiences, and how these experiences relate to those of others in the group. We will be running veteran-specific, family member specific and mixed group workshops, to investigate differences and similarities in collective attitude.

The groups are researcher-led and will provide a safe environment to create new regional connections with your local veteran community, as well as providing vital insights into your lives.

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Overt participant observation study of nuclear veteran family members

“The process enabling researchers to learn about the activities of the people under study in the natural setting through observing and participating in those activities” (Kawulich, 2005).

Ethnographic approaches are used by anthropologists, social scientists and geographers to get real insights into the experiences of individuals and communities.

We will document and analyse conversations relating to the key themes of the project, and interactions and dynamics between the individual and family. Documentation will be by audio and visual recording of individuals, groups and events.

Ethnography is an important way of collecting in-situ data that would not otherwise be accessible to the researcher. This information is important for understanding the drivers and impacts upon both individuals and communities.

This approach will focus upon a select number of individuals who are active participants within the nuclear community.

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Activity Timescale

Interview studies (I) May 2016-November 2017

Group studies (II) July 2016-November 2017

Ethnographic studies (III) July 2016-November 2017

Rekindling the Flame July 2016

Royal Geographical Society: Nuclear

Geographies

September 2016

Study analysis and publication of

results

November 2017 to May 2018

International cross-cultural study? TBC

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If you would like to join the research cohort for this project, then please get in touch with us at the University of Southampton.

All nuclear test veterans and family members are welcomed.

You can email us:

Becky.Martin@Soton.ac.ukJ.Green@Soton.ac.uk

You can also get in touch by post:

Nuclear Families Project2101/44 Shackleton Building

Highfield CampusUniversity of Southampton

Southampton SO17 1BJ

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Southampton University Project Ethics Approval: 19266