title: Understanding Health-Care Needs of Sexual and Gender Minority Veterans: How Targeted Research and Policy Can Improve Health.
abstract: Given the size of the patient population of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), it is likely the largest single provider of health care for sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals in the United States, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons. However, current VHA demographic data-collection strategies limit the understanding of how many SGM veterans there are, thereby making a population-based understanding of the health needs of SGM veterans receiving care in VHA difficult. In this article, we summarize the emergent research findings about SGM veterans and the first initiatives that have been implemented by VHA to promote quality care. Though the research on SGM veterans is in its infancy, it suggests that SGM veterans share some of the health risks noted in veterans generally and also risks associated with SGM status. Some promising resiliency factors have also been identified. These findings have implications for both VHA and non-VHA systems in the treatment of SGM veterans. However, more research on the unique needs of SGM veterans is needed to fully understand their health risks and resiliencies in addition to health-care utilization patterns.
authors.affiliation: 1 VA Central Western Massachusetts Health-care System , Leeds, Massachusetts.|2 University of Massachusetts Medical School , Worcester, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Kristin M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Mattocks
authors.affiliation: 3 VA Patient Care Services LGBT Program , Washington, DC.|4 VA South Central Mental Illness Research , Education, and Clinical Center, Houston, Texas.|5 Houston VA HSR&D Center of Excellence, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center , Houston, Texas.|6 Baylor College of Medicine , Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Kauth
authors.affiliation: 7 Division of Gender, Sexuality, and Health, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute , New York, New York.
authors.forename: Theo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sandfort
authors.affiliation: 8 VA Boston Health-care System , Boston, Massachusetts.|9 National Center for PTSD , Women's Health Sciences Division, Boston, Massachusetts.|10 Boston University School of Medicine , Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Alexis R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Matza
authors.affiliation: 1 VA Central Western Massachusetts Health-care System , Leeds, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: J Cherry
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.affiliation: 3 VA Patient Care Services LGBT Program , Washington, DC.|8 VA Boston Health-care System , Boston, Massachusetts.|9 National Center for PTSD , Women's Health Sciences Division, Boston, Massachusetts.|10 Boston University School of Medicine , Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Jillian C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Shipherd
keywords: LGBT; biology and sexual/gender minority status; gender identity; gender variance; mental health needs veteran