Connecting Rural Veterans: Community-Based Peer Social Interventions to Advance Health and Resource Access.

PURPOSE: Rural veterans experience significant barriers to support, including social isolation and limited access to mental health services, resulting in elevated health risks compared to urban veterans. Inadequate social support is a major obstacle to help-seeking during crises. This study describes the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a peer-driven, community-based Veterans Socials (VS) to enhance support networks and connect non-VA-enrolled rural veterans to a supportive, information-rich community environment.

METHODS

In partnership with a VA Medical Center, six peer specialist-led social groups were established over 13 months to engage rural veterans in three states. This mixed-methods study utilized cross-sectional participant surveys (n = 23), semi-structured interviews (n = 8), and host-completed forms for each of the 199 VS for a total of 1008 nonexclusive attendee engagements with 121 unique attendees. The Bowen feasibility framework guided the assessment of acceptability, preliminary effectiveness, demand, practicality, and implementation.

FINDINGS: VS averaged 5.07 veterans per event. VS reached key demographics, including veterans not engaged in VA healthcare (22%; n = 5) and those at high-risk for isolation or loneliness (57%; n = 13). Preliminary effectiveness was achieved with 65% (n = 15) of participants reporting new friendships. All benchmarks for preliminary effectiveness (friend-making), practicality (independent operation without a VA employee), and implementation fidelity were met. Most acceptability and demand benchmarks were achieved, though two of six VS did not achieve the attendance criterion.

CONCLUSIONS

Peer-led, community-based interventions are feasible in rural areas and can effectively reach veterans at risk for isolation and loneliness. Sustaining such efforts may rely on mobilizing and building community capacity, making peer-driven models a promising strategy for improving health outcomes for rural veterans.