JAMA Network Open Publishes Article on LGB+ Veterans and Social Health Needs
Dec 15, 2025
By Ella Izenour, NLIHC Opportunity Starts at Home Intern and Julie Walker, NLIHC Project Manager, Opportunity Starts at Home
This article uses “LGB+” to refer to the primary care patients interviewed in this study based on their identification as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or other sexual orientations. Participants were not asked to report their gender identity. While this study focused on sexual orientation, transgender and nonbinary veterans also face housing insecurity and discrimination. More information can be found in this 2022 analysis from The Center for American Progress.
Jama Network Open recently published a new article, “Health-Related Social Needs Among LGB+ Veterans.” The article utilizes a cross-sectional study of primary care patients served by the Veterans Health Administration to identify the health-related social needs of veterans who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, additional orientations, or not sure (LGB+). The authors find that LGB+ veterans have an increased need for support around housing and discriminatory experiences.
Data was gathered from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Survey of Healthcare Experiences of Patients program and included a sample of 6,296 primary care patients served by the Veterans Health Administration. Patients completed a social-needs questionnaire, which was analyzed to determine their social needs across 13 domains, including housing, basic needs, employment, social isolation, and experiences of discrimination. LGB+ veterans had a significantly higher prevalence of need for support in managing discrimination and obtaining or maintaining stable housing.
The study found that nearly one in four LGB+ veterans reported needing support for discrimination, compared with one in ten heterosexual veterans. Additionally, a higher proportion of LGB+ respondents reported needing support in finding and maintaining stable housing. The authors note that prior research aligns with these findings, including analyses of housing-instability screenings in Veterans Health Administration encounters showing that LGB+ veterans are nearly twice as likely to experience recent homelessness and housing instability compared with heterosexual veterans.
The article concludes by underscoring the need for targeted and responsive systems to support LGB+ veterans, particularly with respect to housing. The authors emphasize the importance of strengthened interventions at both national and local levels to adequately address the social needs of LGB+ veterans.
Read the article here.
To learn more about the intersections of housing, veterans, health, and the LGBTQIA+ community, read the OSAH fact sheets here.