Homelessness and money mismanagement in Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
Journal Article (Journal Article)
OBJECTIVES: We examined the empirical link between money mismanagement and subsequent homelessness among veterans. METHODS: We used a random sample of Iraq and Afghanistan War era veterans from the National Post-Deployment Adjustment Survey in 2009-2011. RESULTS: Veterans were randomly selected from a roster of all US military service members in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom who were separated from active duty or in the Reserves/National Guard. Veterans (n = 1090) from 50 states and all military branches completed 2 waves of data collection 1 year apart (79% retention rate). Thirty percent reported money mismanagement (e.g., bouncing or forging a check, going over one's credit limit, falling victim to a money scam in the past year). Multivariate analysis revealed money mismanagement (odds ratio [OR] = 4.09, 95% CI = 1.87, 8.94) was associated with homelessness in the next year, as were arrest history (OR = 2.65, 95% CI = 1.33, 5.29), mental health diagnosis (OR = 2.59, 95% CI = 1.26, 5.33), and income (OR = 0.30, 95% CI = 0.13, 0.71). CONCLUSIONS: Money mismanagement, reported by a substantial number of veterans, was related to a higher rate of subsequent homelessness. The findings have implications for policymakers and clinicians, suggesting that financial education programs offered by the US Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs may be targeted to effectively address veteran homelessness.
Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Elbogen, EB; Sullivan, CP; Wolfe, J; Wagner, HR; Beckham, JC
Published Date
- December 2013
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 103 Suppl 2 / Suppl 2
Start / End Page
- S248 - S254
PubMed ID
- 24148067
Pubmed Central ID
- PMC3919675
Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)
- 1541-0048
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301335
Language
- eng
Conference Location
- United States