Services utilization among recently homeless veterans: a gender-based comparison

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Gender Studies in Healthcare

Background:

• The growing number of women veterans necessitates understanding their unique experiences within the homeless system.
• Homelessness significantly impacts healthcare access and utilization among veterans, with potential gender-specific variations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a gender-based comparison of healthcare and behavioral health service utilization among U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) users after experiencing homelessness.
• To examine the relationship between service utilization patterns and the pathways veterans take into the homeless system.

Main Methods:

• A comparative analysis of male and female veterans' utilization of mainstream and VA health and behavioral health services post-homelessness onset.
• Assessment of the correlation between service use and the process of entering the homeless system.

Main Results:

• Male and female veterans demonstrated similar rates of utilizing mainstream and VA homeless services.
• Inpatient service use post-homelessness showed minimal gender-based differences; men accessed more substance abuse and emergency services, while women used more outpatient medical services.
• Veterans using non-VA homeless services were less likely to use outpatient care but more likely to use emergency services.

Conclusions:

• Homeless veterans not utilizing VA homeless assistance programs show reduced engagement with preventative VA healthcare.
• There is a critical need for enhanced engagement strategies for homeless veterans, particularly women, who are not identified by the VA.
• Continued research into gender-specific differences in service utilization among homeless and at-risk veterans is essential.