Homeless Veterans in London: Investigating Housing Responsibilities
Abstract: In advance of the seminar organised by the Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committee (London Region) and partners, we have been asked to review developments since our December 2016 report. This short updating report is in 2 parts; setting out developments in the national context; and setting out developments in individual local authorities. In relation to the latter research, which updates our 2016 report, we are pleased to note some significant improvements in information provision for veterans. Greenwich, for example, signpost advice for homeless veterans very clearly from their homelessness homepage and the veteran specific information provided by Haringey, Havering and Newham is also very good. Some improvements may be linked to the requirements of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 (discussed further below). For example, on Brent’s homepage for homelessness, there is a direct link for former members of the armed forces alongside other groups specified by the 2017 Act, with information about homelessness applications as well as other possible sources of support. Westminster also have specific information and advice and have a page entitled Information and Advice for armed forces. However, many of the public facing websites we reviewed could still be improved, and there are some local authorities who provide very limited information for veterans. Our focus for this report is to highlight examples of what we consider to be best practice in this area and to note areas in which we consider further improvements could be made.
Abstract: Background: Exposure to potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs) during military service can lead to moral injury (MI) outcomes and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). This longitudinal study examined the relationships between PMIE exposure, MI outcomes, and PTSS among Israeli combat veterans, and the potential protective role of dispositional forgiveness in these associations. Method: Participants were 169 Israeli combat veterans who participated in a six-year longitudinal study with four measurement points (T1: 12 months before enlistment, T2: Six months following enlistment- pre-deployment, T3: 18 months following enlistment- post-deployment, and T4: 28 months following discharge). Participants’ characteristics were assessed via semi-structured interviews (T1) and validated self-report measures (T2-T4) between 2019-2024. Results: Approximately 36% of participants reported exposure to PMIEs during service, with 13% exceeding the clinical threshold for probable PTSD at T4. PMIE-Betrayal at T3 was positively associated with MI outcomes of shame and trust violation at T4. The indirect effect of PMIEs on PTSS through MI outcome-Shame depended on forgiveness levels. Among veterans with low forgiveness, higher exposure to PMIE-Betrayal was associated with increased MI shame, which was linked to more severe PTSS. Conversely, for those with high forgiveness, exposure to PMIE-Self and Other was associated with decreased MI shame and subsequently reduced PTSS. Conclusion: Dispositional forgiveness moderates the relationship between PMIE exposure and MI outcomes, particularly shame, which mediates the development of PTSS. These findings highlight forgiveness as a potential target for intervention in treating moral injury and preventing PTSS among combat veterans.