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A PILOT STUDY EXPLORING VETERAN IDENTITY USING LYRIC ANALYSIS IN A QUALITATIVE, COMMUNITY-BASED PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH FRAMEWORK**

Abstract

Researchers attempt to define what it means to be a veteran, but it is rare for that question to be directly asked of veterans. Traditionally, experimenters define variables and ask the community of interest (CoI) to provide responses without the CoI being included in the research process or reaping any direct benefit from participation. There is a high degree of distrust and disenfranchisement reflected in veterans towards the mental health care system and the scientific community. We aim to use the CbPAR model to amplify their voices and focus on what is important to them. We are seeking to allow veterans to define their identity in their own words. Researchers serve as messengers to help amplify veteran voices and disseminate their stories to the larger community. In the current study, we asked veterans to identify songs that answered the question, “What does being a veteran mean to you?” This study is part of a larger research project using both photovoice and lyric analysis to help define the “sights and sounds” of veteran identity. Veterans worked individually with researchers through the process of lyric analysis, which is a music therapy intervention in which the client and therapist listen to a song together and discuss the connection the lyrics have to the client’s life experiences. Transcripts of interviews will be analyzed to uncover common themes and elements that help researchers understand how they conceptualize their community identity as veterans. External validity is addressed through member checking, in which participants will review transcripts, discuss identified themes, and choose representative songs to present as a part of an immersive, interactive gallery experience for the community to allow for their stories to be told. We assert that more research should be done with the veteran community, not to them.

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