Social isolation and loneliness

The project

Stories that INSPIRE is a storytelling and film-based research project led by the MacDonald Franklin OSI Research Centre and funded by the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families, supported by Mental Health Research Canada. The project invited Canadian Veterans to share their deeply personal stories about transitioning out of military service, capturing both the struggles of isolation and the strength found in resilience and community.

Drawing from interviews across diverse backgrounds, service histories and transition experiences, the project used real stories that feature the emotional and social challenges Veterans face after release, such as loss of camaraderie, identity and belonging, as well as the healing power of peer support, purpose and reconnection.

Produced in collaboration with RADAR (Recovery Advocacy Documentary Action Research), the resulting film brings these voices to life with honesty and heart. Stories that INSPIRE transforms research into an accessible, human-centred tool to connect, educate and advocate.

This project is situated within an ongoing line of research examining the complex and often difficult transition out of military service. The INSPIRE program of research is conducted in collaboration with Veteran Affairs Canada and supported by multiple funders, including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Chronic Pain Centre of Excellence for Canadian Veterans.

The partner

The MacDonald Franklin OSI Research Centre is a national and international leader in research on military and Veteran mental health, committed to improving the well-being of Veterans and their Families. Their work spans clinical, neuroscience and population-level studies into operational stress injuries, moral injury, resilience, treatment outcomes and quality-of-life, all with the aim of generating actionable knowledge that can inform policy, care practices and supports tailored to Veterans’ lived realities.

Why this is important

Sharing these stories supports Atlas’s mission to centre lived experience and strengthen the connection between research, policy and practice. The film offers an accessible way for communities, practitioners and policy makers to better understand the complexities of the transition to post-military life and the supports that make a meaningful difference for Veterans and their Families.

Accessibility features: Closed captioning is available for these videos. To enable this feature, select CC in the bottom-right of the video player.