Relative Contribution of Familial Factors to Comorbidity Among Homeless Veterans

ABSTRACT

This is a study of a random sample of 188 homeless veterans, aged 26 to 59, who abuse substances, many of whom are comorbid with depression. All of these veterans are inpatients in a program for substance abuse in a Veterans' Administration Center in the South. The foci of the study are the relative effects of familial factors on comorbidity among homeless military vetrans (comorbidity is defined in the present study as substance abuse with depression).

Familial substance abuse, psychiatric afflictions, physical abuse, and relational problems were among the strongest predictors of comorbidity among veterans. Other top predictors were direct combat experience in war, number of times treated for substance abuse, years of alcohol abuse, and resilience. In fact, direct combat experience was the strongest predictor. Family social work implications were discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Homeless veterans
• drug abusers
• comorbid
• ecological predictors