Byrne Thomas, Montgomery Ann Elizabeth, Fargo Jamison D
Boston University School of Social Work, 264 Bay State Rd., Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans, 4100 Chester Ave, Suite 201, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
Community Ment Health J. 2016 Feb;52(2):148-57. doi: 10.1007/s10597-015-9922-0. Epub 2015 Aug 20.
We identified correlates of unsheltered status among Veterans experiencing homelessness and described distinct subgroups within the unsheltered homeless Veteran population using data from a screening instrument for homelessness that is administered to all Veterans accessing outpatient care at a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facility. Correlates of unsheltered homelessness included male gender, white race, older age, lower levels of VHA eligibility, substance use disorders, frequent use of VHA inpatient and infrequent use of VHA outpatient services, and residing in the West. We identified six distinct subgroups of unsheltered Veterans; the tri-morbid frequent users represented the highest need group, but the largest group was comprised of Veterans who made highly infrequent use of VHA healthcare services. Differences between sheltered and unsheltered Veterans and heterogeneity within the unsheltered Veteran population should be considered in targeting housing and other interventions.
我们利用一种针对无家可归状况的筛查工具收集的数据,确定了经历无家可归的退伍军人中无住所状态的相关因素,并描述了无住所的退伍军人人口中的不同亚组。该筛查工具应用于所有在退伍军人健康管理局(VHA)设施接受门诊治疗的退伍军人。无住所无家可归的相关因素包括男性、白人、年龄较大、VHA资格水平较低、物质使用障碍、频繁使用VHA住院服务和不频繁使用VHA门诊服务,以及居住在西部。我们确定了六个不同的无住所退伍军人亚组;患有三种疾病的频繁使用者代表了需求最高的群体,但最大的群体是由极少使用VHA医疗服务的退伍军人组成。在确定住房和其他干预措施的目标时,应考虑有住所和无住所退伍军人之间的差异以及无住所退伍军人人口内部的异质性。