Psychosocial needs of incarcerated veterans with other than honorable discharge characterizations.

The Veterans Health Administration recently expanded eligibility to allow behavioral health care for veterans with "other than honorable" (OTH) discharge characterizations, a group with unique demographic and psychosocial needs, including overrepresentation in criminal-legal contexts. To guide the integration of these veterans into Veterans Health Administration behavioral health care settings, this study offers initial insight into the needs of veterans with OTH involved in the criminal-legal system. Using data from the 2016 Survey of Prison Inmates, analyses compared incarcerated veterans with OTH (n = 179) to those with honorable or general discharge characterizations (n = 1,335) on demographic profile, criminal-legal history, and psychosocial factors. Veterans with OTH were more often younger, persons of color, incarcerated for drug-related offenses, diagnosed with psychotic and personality disorders, experiencing housing and occupational instability immediately preceding arrest, and with a history of substance use treatment. Results highlight the need for culturally sensitive approaches capable of addressing complex difficulties commonly faced by this population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).