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

Participation in heritage and archaeology is increasingly offered in the community to support mental health and wellbeing, particularly to groups experiencing mental health challenges. One such group are military veterans, who experience higher rates of mental health challenges but less help-seeking than the general population. Since 2011 archaeological projects have been offered to veterans to support transition, mental health, and wellbeing. Consequently, provision has become increasingly framed as an intervention, with evaluation focused on mental health and wellbeing outcomes. However, there is little understanding of why archaeology impacts positively. Adopting an interpretative qualitative approach, this study explored veterans’ and providers’ perceptions of how and why archaeology supports mental health and wellbeing. Interviews with five UK veterans and four providers of UK projects were conducted and analysed using thematic analysis. Three themes were developed, each with three subthemes. Connection and belonging captured feelings of projects being a safe space, experiences of comradeship and peer support, and outcomes related to building social networks. Authenticity and purpose concerned the importance of participating authentically and contributing purposefully, and how participation was a catalyst for change. Meaning-making through the past explored how veterans make meaning through acts of remembrance, the important supporting role of professionals, and subsequent changes in wellbeing and mental health. On balance, findings support the assumption that archaeology isa powerful non-clinical intervention for veterans, but suggests that while wellbeing may improve, mental health may not. Furthermore, potential mechanisms are suggested that must be explored further to improve practice in this area.