Excavating the past and (re)finding myself: Why and in what ways do veterans and providers believe archaeology supports mental health and wellbeing?

• DOI: 10.31235/osf.io/kv2qc
• Publication Date: 2024-12-13T11:43:39Z
• Authors: Karen Burnell; Paul Everill
• Keywords: Other Psychology; Health Psychology; Community Psychology; Psychology; /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/good_health_and_well_being; name=SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being; Arts and Humanities; Other History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology; Social and Behavioral Sciences; History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology

Participation in heritage and archaeology is increasingly offered in the community to support mental health and wellbeing, often to groups experiencing mental health challenges. One such group are military veterans, who experience higher rates of mental health challenges than the general population, including trauma and loss, and lower help-seeking behaviour. Since 2011 archaeological projects have been offered to veterans to support transition and mental health and wellbeing. For veterans, and other groups, provision has become increasingly framed as an intervention, with evaluation focused on mental health and wellbeing outcomes. However, there is little understanding of why and how archaeology has a positive impact. Adopting an interpretative qualitative approach, we interviewed five UK veterans and four providers of UK projects about their experiences of archaeology. Through thematic analysis, three themes were created 1) connection and belonging, 2) authenticity and purpose, and 3) meaning-making through the past. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, this study provides further insight into the ways in which archaeology may support psychological wellbeing, but perhaps not mental health, with implications for further research and practice in this area, particularly concerning the powerful opportunities for meaning-making.