Conard PL, Keller MJ, Armstrong ML. The Risks, Invisibility, and Health Issues Facing Women Veterans Who Are Homeless.
Nurs Womens Health 2021;
25:471-481. [PMID:
34736917 DOI:
10.1016/j.nwh.2021.09.007]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Women veterans may experience a variety of traumatizing events and conditions before, during, and after their military service, such as intimate partner violence, military sexual trauma, moral injury, and posttraumatic stress disorder. These experiences put them at greater risk for significant behavioral and physical health sequelae, which can be associated with difficulty with civilian reintegration and complexities around homelessness. Homeless women military veterans are often uncounted, undergo different environmental situations than their male counterparts, and are vulnerable to sexual violence and unintended pregnancies. Identifying homeless women military veterans is an important first step; otherwise, they remain "invisible." Comprehensive, collaborative, interdisciplinary health care in which trust is established and care is holistic and individualized will produce the most optimal outcomes.
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