Unmet needs of homeless U.S. veterans by gender and race/ethnicity: Data from five annual surveys.

There has been insufficient research on gender, race, and ethnic differences in unmet needs of homeless populations. This study analyzed 5 years of data collected by Project Community Homelessness Assessment, Local Education, and Networking Groups (CHALENG) surveys from 2012 to 2016 to examine gender, race, and ethnic differences in "literally homeless" veterans (i.e., veterans living in the streets, shelters, vehicles, or any other place not meant for habitation). Of 7,040 participants, there were 6,335 male and 705 female literally homeless veterans from 4 self-identified racial/ethnic categories (White, Black, Hispanic, and Other). The results showed that homeless female veterans were significantly more likely to report unmet needs related to emergency shelter, transitional housing, and dental care than male veterans. Among men, White veterans reported greater unmet needs in housing, healthcare, basic needs, and specialized needs than racial/ethnic minority veterans. Among women, veterans who were racial/ethnic minorities reported greater unmet needs than their White counterparts. These findings suggest programmatic attention to gender, race, and ethnicity is important in addressing diverse needs of homeless veterans and specialized services may be needed to address their specific and consistent unmet needs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

COVID-19 Vaccine Administration and Hesitation Among Psychiatric Emergency Services Patients.

Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES) at Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs (VACT) began offering the COVID-19 vaccine to eligible veterans in February 2021. From February 10 to March 17, 2021 there were 110 encounters where a veteran was offered the vaccine (96 unique veterans). Of those 96 veterans, 39 (40.6%) were interested in receiving the vaccine. Of those, 23 (60.0%) veterans received the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and among those, 21 (91.3%) eventually received the second dose. Sixteen veterans were interested but unable to receive the vaccine due to PES-related obstacles. Common themes regarding vaccine hesitancy among this population include vaccine mistrust and concerns about side effects. Offering the vaccine to PES patients allowed VACT to reach a vulnerable subset of veterans who may be at higher risk of contracting the virus and experience worse disease outcomes.

Patient Volume and Dispositions in a VA Psychiatric Emergency Room During COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a decline in emergency department visits in the United States. Less is known about how COVID-19 has impacted psychiatric emergency services (PES). This report compares visits to the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs psychiatric emergency room from March-August 2020 to the same period from three prior years (2017, 2018, 2019) to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on patient volume and dispositions. Compared to prior years, there was a decline in visits in March-August 2020, particularly in April. This coincided with the peak of COVID-19 in the state. Rates of hospitalizations remained consistent, while rates of referrals to residential programs decreased. The decline in visits likely indicates that many veterans postponed necessary mental health and substance use treatment. This delay could have significant clinical ramifications for veterans and may lead to an eventual surge in demand for emergency mental health care.