Female Veterans' risk factors for homelessness: A scoping review

The proportion of Canadian female Veterans who are homeless is greater than that of their male counterparts. The Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs recommended research be conducted to better understand Canadian female Veteran homelessness. In response to this recommendation, this scoping review of peer-reviewed literature and grey literature was undertaken as a first step to identify the existing literature exploring homelessness among female Veterans.

A scoping review of the literature was performed, focusing on the risk factors and lived experiences associated with homelessness among female Veterans. Articles were screened for relevance and critically appraised.

A total of 927 studies were retrieved. Nine articles were added from additional sources. After a two-phase screening approach, 15 studies were included for analysis. All studies were from the United States. Several risk factors for homelessness were identified for female Veterans across their lifespan: adverse childhood events, abuse, family upheaval, military sexual trauma, intimate partner violence, substance use, physical and mental health diagnoses, race and racism, and gender discrimination.

This scoping review illustrates that a paucity of literature exists on the life experiences of Canadian female Veterans who are homeless. However, it identified several important themes that can guide future research focused on understanding the risk factors contributing to homelessness for this population. Furthermore, a critical analysis of existing literature illustrated the need for research focused on the interactions among social location, historical experience, and socio-demographic characteristics to more fully understand the risk factors that influence being homeless.