Understanding risk in younger Veterans: Risk and protective factors associated with suicide attempt, homelessness, and arrest in a nationally representative Veteran sample

Homelessness and Contact with the Criminal Legal System among U.S. Combat Veterans: An Exploration of Potential Mediating Factors

“…The bidirectional association between homelessness and contact with CLS is well established in previous research that has focused on veterans and the general population (Edwards, Dichiara, et al, 2021;Finlay et al, 2016;greenberg & Rosenheck, 2008). The fact that both homelessness and contact with CLS share numerous interrelated and dynamic psychosocial risk factors, however, points to an indirect association between these outcomes.…”

“…Consistent with the previously used measurement techniques (Chen et al, 2016; Edwards, Dichiara, et al, 2021), contact with CLS was assessed by a binary indicator of whether the respondents have ever been arrested. Respondents who reported they were arrested were assigned a value of “1,” otherwise they were assigned a value of “0.” Similar to its use in the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions – III (NESARC-III) (Chen et al, 2016), history of prior homelessness was assessed with the following question: “In your entire adult life, have you ever been homeless (i.e., stayed in a shelter, transitional housing, outdoors, or some other unstable housing situation)?” Veterans who responded affirmatively were coded as “1,” while those who reported no history of homelessness were coded as “0.”…”

“…All participants in the survey provided informed consent and the Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval was given by the Human Subjects Committee of the VA Connecticut Healthcare System. measUres Consistent with the previously used measurement techniques (Chen et al, 2016;Edwards, Dichiara, et al, 2021), contact with CLS was assessed by a binary indicator of whether the respondents have ever been arrested. Respondents who reported they were arrested were assigned a value of "1," otherwise they were assigned a value of "0."…”

“…Overall, the findings of the extant research imply that homelessness may lead to CLS involvement through mediating factors such as mental health and substance use. Although there is ample evidence showing common risk factors associated with both homelessness and CLS involvement among combat veterans (Edwards, Dichiara, et al, 2021) their intersection is largely under-examined and potential mechanisms linking homelessness to CLS involvement remain largely unexplored. Elucidation of mechanisms that may mediate the relationship between homelessness and CLS involvement among combat veterans has implications for building a more comprehensive model of care and addressing psychosocial and clinical risk factors amenable to interventions such as psychotherapy or case management.…”

Mental Health of Incarcerated Veterans and Civilians: Latent Class Analysis of the 2016 Survey of Prison Inmates

“…These exposures to trauma could have notable implications for Veteran mental health, particularly in correctional settings (Aronson et al, 2020; Ross et al, 2018), where estimates using convenience samples suggest approximately 90% of Veterans report at least one form of prior trauma exposure (Hartwell et al, 2014; Saxon et al, 2001). Some evidence suggests Veterans’ experiences of trauma, both within and outside of military service, may be associated with greater risk of criminal justice involvement (Edwards et al, 2022). Furthermore, elevated rates of psychopathology are generally observed among justice-involved Veterans; across studies, approximately 4% to 39% of justice-involved Veterans are affected by posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 21% to 71% by substance use disorders, 10% to 51% by depressive disorders, 14% to 51% by anxiety disorders, 3% to 11% by bipolar disorders, 8% to 61% by adjustment disorders, 4% to 14% by psychotic disorders, and 3% to 11% by personality disorders (Blodgett et al, 2015).…”