Out of the trenches; prevalence of Australian veterans among the homeless population and the implications for public health

Abstract

Objectives: To examine the prevalence of Australian Defence Force veterans among people sleeping rough and explore their health and social needs relative to non-veteran rough sleepers.Method: Analysis of responses to the Vulnerability Index -Service Prioritisation Decision Assistance Tool (VI-SPDAT) collected from 8,027 rough sleepers across five Australian States from 2010-2017.Results: Veterans were found to comprise 5.6% of people sleeping rough in Australia, with veterans reporting having spent an average of 6.3 years on the street or in emergency accommodation (compared with an average of five years for their non-veterans counterparts). Veterans had a higher prevalence of self-reported physical health, mental health and social issues compared with non-veteran rough sleepers.Conclusions: This is the first study of its kind to elucidate the presence of Australian veterans among people sleeping rough. That they are likely to have spent more years on the street, and have a higher prevalence of health and social issues, highlights the imperative for earlier intervention and prevention of veteran homelessness itself, and its health impacts.Implications for public health: Veteran homelessness has been comparatively hidden in Australia compared to other countries, and consequently the myriad of health, psychosocial and adjustment issues faced by homeless veterans has also been hidden. With heightened attention on veteran suicide and self-harm, earlier intervention to prevent veterans becoming homeless constitutes sound public health prevention and mental health policy.

Counting homelessness: Working creatively to generate complex descriptive profiles of the health and demographics of people experiencing homelessness in Adelaide

“…Less than half of the people on the By‐Name List were connected to specialist homelessness services when they completed the VI‐SPDAT. Additionally, there may be gender differences in help‐seeking from homelessness services (Wood et al, 2021).…”

Coming to Terms

“…Veterans across the United States are at risk for the development of an array of serious illnesses, 20,21 increased risk of homelessness, 22 risk for moral injury, 23,24 physical disabilities, 25 and posttraumatic stress disorder 26,27 ; this includes female veterans. Thus, the development of a consistent model for palliative care delivery would be beneficial to all veterans, especially those beyond the reach of urban VHA facilities.…”

Veteran homelessness in Australia: What do we know? What has been done? What do we need to do?

“…14 Another study found that 5.6% of people sleeping rough in Australia were veterans, with veterans more likely to spend longer periods of time sleeping rough. 15 Also, 1300 persons who identified as current or former Corresponding author: Duncan Wallace, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. Email: d_wallace@ozemail.com.au serving members of the ADF were assisted by Specialist Homeless Services in 2020-21 with 54% identifying as homeless and 46% at risk of homelessness.…”

“… 14 Another study found that 5.6% of people sleeping rough in Australia were veterans, with veterans more likely to spend longer periods of time sleeping rough. 15 Also, 1300 persons who identified as current or former serving members of the ADF were assisted by Specialist Homeless Services in 2020–21 with 54% identifying as homeless and 46% at risk of homelessness. 3 However, Nielssen et al 16 did not find a single DVA client among 2140 adults who attended an inner-city homeless hostel clinic and had been admitted to a hospital in NSW between 2008 and 2021, suggesting either a lack of individuals identifying as former serving ADF members or a lack of uptake of DVA services by veterans who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness.…”