The problem of homelessness often affects the most vulnerable segments of society, among them veterans. This group also experiences significant issues concerning excessive alcohol consumption and drug addiction, which entail detrimental consequences for their health and ability to return to everyday life. Several researchers have studied substance abuse among homeless veterans and produced relevant studies. Among the scholars is Iheanacho et al. (2018), who undertook an extensive study among more than two hundred thousand veterans registered with the Veterans Health Organization. The authors found that 34.6% of veterans with opioid use disorder were homeless and prone to HIV infections than those with a home (Iheanacho et al., 2018). Thus, this study provides data necessary for understanding the scale of veteran homelessness and the effects of drug addiction on this demographic.
Numerous scholars have evaluated homelessness and drug addiction as the independent variable. Articles on the subject include veterans’ self-reported information on homelessness and their relations with various harmful substances. For instance, Dunne et al. (2015) conducted a survey in which they found more than 17% of veterans referred to alcohol and drugs as the primary cause of their homeless status. Elsewhere, Sestito et al. (2017) interviewed twenty homeless veterans, three of whom cited their military service as a contributing factor to substance abuse problems. While the articles mentioned above contain valuable information, they are insufficient to develop policies to tackle drug abuse resulting in homelessness among veterans. There is still a gap concerning the most prevalent temporal order between homelessness and substance abuse and the role of military service in developing an addiction, and the degree of social support. Therefore, the most appropriate next step in this area would be to conduct a qualitative study to collect and analyze substance abuse information among homeless veterans in their natural setting.
Purpose Statement and Research Question
The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the experience of substance abuse in homeless veterans. The problem of addictions has been thoroughly studied using the quantitative approach, which has yielded necessary statistical data on the number of people who struggle with this issue. The qualitative method provides an opportunity to learn more about people’s personal experiences with substance abuse. This study will focus primarily on collecting self-reported accounts of the participants. The researcher’s task will be to analyze them ensures that it is consistent with constructivist epistemology and ontology. The naturalistic setting will play a significant role in conducting this qualitative research since it will serve as the primary environment for finding participants.
The problem of substance abuse among veterans interests me both as a researcher and a person concerned about this group of people’s health and well-being. I will apply reflexivity at every stage of the research process to ensure that the study remains objective and impartial. On the other hand, there is a risk of potential bias on the participants since the study will utilize the self-reporting method. For example, some respondents may not answer the questions honestly due to the social desirability bias, which will be addressed with an appropriate study design. The primary data sources will be homeless veterans with substance abuse problems who will be interviewed in the most populated settings, for example, streets and parks. The study will rely on the following research question: What is the experience of substance abuse in homeless veterans?
Annotated Bibliography
The number of studies concerning substance abuse among homeless veterans is limited; however, several can be considered relevant and recent. The sources identified during the research both focus on the medical aspects of the issue and provide considerable insight into the veteran’s personal experiences. Thus, all of the articles chosen to be presented below bear significance for the current study.
Dunne, E. M., Burrell, L. E., Diggins, A. D., Whitehead, N. E., & Latimer, W. W. (2015). Increased risk for substance use and health-related problems among homeless veterans. The American Journal on Addictions, 24(7), 676–680. Web.
The article is dedicated to a study conducted to establish the factors behind homelessness among veterans and people without a military background. The findings show that veterans tend to reference alcohol and drug problems as the leading cause of their homeless status more often than nonveterans. This article is useful for the current study since it demonstrates that substance abuse can be a serious factor contributing to homelessness.
Iheanacho, T., Stefanovics, E., & Rosenheck, R. (2018). Opioid use disorder and homelessness in the Veterans Health Administration: The challenge of multimorbidity. Journal of Opioid Management, 14(13), 171–182. Web.
This article documents the process and the results of a large study that assessed the prevalence and sociodemographic aspects of opioid use disorder (OUD) among homeless veterans in the U.S. The researchers discovered that 34.6% of veterans who had OUD were homeless and were at a greater risk of having alcohol use disorder and HIV. The article provides essential information on the scale of substance abuse and demonstrates its consequences for homeless veterans.
Sestito, S. F., Rodriguez, K. L., Saba, S. K., Conley, J. W., Mitchell, M. A., & Gordon, A. J. (2017). Homeless veterans’ experiences with substance use, recovery, and treatment through photo-elicitation. Substance Abuse, 38(4), 422–431. Web.
The article’s primary topic concerns the utilization of the photo-elicitation method, which implied interviewing homeless veterans. Their accounts of substance use are relevant for the current study since they expand the understanding of the problem. For example, three subjects reported that their substance abuse issues developed due to their military service. This information is vital for understanding the link and relationship between addiction and service in the armed forces.
Tsai, J., Hoff, R. A., & Harpaz-Rotem, I. (2017). One-year incidence and predictors of homelessness among 300,000 US Veterans seen in specialty mental health care. Psychological Services, 14(2), 203-207. Web.
The authors used a retrospective cohort of 306351 veterans between 2008 and 2012 to determine ways to end homelessness among U.S. veterans. They found that despite the allocation of resources to help veteran homelessness, it continues to rise. The authors found veterans to have a 5.6 percent chance of becoming homeless from, which includes drug abuse. The authors also discovered veteran women aged between 46 and 55 to be at a higher risk of homelessness than men in the same age bracket. Alcohol and drug use disorder remain the most significant cause of homelessness among U.S. veterans. It accounts for 28.7 percent and 27.7 percent of the homeless in the cohort with an odds ratio of 1.5 – indicating a greater likelihood of occurring. The authors conclude that drug abuse remains a significant predictor of veteran homelessness, a factor that defeats attempts by multiple organizations to end veteran homelessness.
Malte, C. A., Cox, K., & Saxon, A. J. (2017). Providing intensive addiction/housing case management to homeless veterans enrolled in addictions treatment: A randomized controlled trial. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 31(3), 231–241. Web.
The authors sought to determine whether homeless veterans who join the Veterans Affairs and Substance Management Program improve their housing status and reduce substance abuse. They, therefore, compared two cohorts: homeless and housed veterans. The 12-month study outcome on 121 veterans revealed that addiction severity among the homeless veterans increased severely; however, homelessness was reduced.
Bowe, A., & Rosenheck, R. (2015). PTSD and substance use disorder among veterans: characteristics, service utilization, and pharmacotherapy. Journal of Dual Diagnosis, 11(1), 22-32. Web.
The authors contend that comorbid substance disorder remains a concern for veterans, especially those diagnosed with PTSD. The authors found veterans with PTSD and substance use disorder to have a low chance of socioeconomic status – aspects that result in homelessness. From the 638,451 veterans in the study sample, 78.1 percent were diagnosed with PTSD throughout the study, while 21.9 percent were found to have an increased risk of comorbid use. The authors call for better management of PTSD by veteran organizations, citing it as a cause of drug abuse leading to homelessness.
Veterans remain overrepresented in homeless populations, with research showing substance abuse to contribute to the prevalence of homelessness. Understanding how substance abuse affects veterans experiencing homelessness can help determine effective ways to address the challenge. Indeed, how to best handle substance abuse among homeless veterans remains an area least understood (Sestito et al., 2017). In this view, this study is critical in developing effective services to manage substance abuse better and comprehend perceptions among veterans regarding housing and drugs. As Tsai et al. (2017) contend, “the measure of how common a condition exists in a population at the moment is critical to assessing the rate of occurrence of new cases over a period.” Hence, understanding how the three variables affect veterans is critical to understanding and developing mechanisms to eliminate barriers causing the problem’s prevalence. The study will also help discover facilitators and opportunities for treatment mechanisms. The study is also essential in accurately mapping substance abuse as a risk factor to homelessness, including discovering how the problem affects veterans’ social status and overall mental health.