Terug naar de Basis: Re-integratie na Zending

This dissertation investigates the reintegration process of crisis service personnel, including military personnel and NGO staff. Previous research has mainly focused on the military and on negative psychological outcomes of deployment such as PTSD and depression. Less attention has been given to positive outcomes (e.g. increased confidence and resilience) or to the reintegration of deployed NGO workers. Four research questions guided this work: (1) Is reintegration of military and NGO personnel comparable? (2) Is reintegration a dual process involving both positive and negative experiences? (3) How does professional reintegration unfold? (4) How do different sources of support - colleagues, supervisors and the organisation - influence professional reintegration? A staged research approach addressed these questions across three studies. Study 1 reported a systematic literature review of 104 studies, revealing inconsistent definitions, a predominant negative focus, and limited attention to the professional dimension of reintegration. Reintegration emerged as a dual process that unfolds in phases, with both positive and negative experiences developing independently. Study 2 examined professional reintegration using Organisational Support Theory (OST) and a mixed‑method study with 30 military and NGO personnel. Support from colleagues and supervisors varied, while perceived organisational support was generally low. This is primarily due to perceived unfairness and inconsistent HR practices. Military and NGO staff reported similar professional reintegration challenges and expectations, although the latter scored higher on negative reintegration. In Study 3, a mediation model was tested using survey data from 803 Belgian soldiers. The study examined how support from colleagues, supervisors, and the organisation relates to various work outcomes with separate paths for positive and negative professional reintegration. The results confirmed the dual nature of reintegration, with distinct mediation patterns for each source of support. This dissertation advances the understanding of reintegration after deployment by indicating that positive and negative experiences coexist, and relate differently to a variety of outcomes. Differentiating sources of support deepen the understanding of reintegration. Military and NGO reintegration share many commonalities; however, context-specific factors differ. This dissertation presents an adapted reintegration framework for future research as well for development of reintegration policies and practices.