"I just needed somebody to talk to": The role of the Veterans Crisis Line in social connection for women veterans.

The U.S. Surgeon General in 2023 declared an "epidemic of loneliness and social isolation" in the United States, conditions that impact health risks, including suicidal ideation. U.S. women military veterans may face particular challenges to social connection due to relatively small numbers of women veterans within civilian communities as well as gender-specific military experiences that can increase isolation and disrupt social relationships. There is growing concern about suicide risk among this population. As part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs suicide prevention efforts, the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) provides free, 24-hr human support during acute crises and connection to other resources. Through analysis of qualitative interviews with 26 women veterans who had contacted the VCL in the prior year, we identified that women veterans sought human connection through the VCL in times of acute mental distress when other opportunities were limited due to the following: (a) lack of people within their social networks, (b) people in their social networks not being available in times of need, (c) not wanting to burden people in their networks, or (d) experiencing those in their social networks as not supportive or understanding. Our findings speak to the value of the VCL for supporting women veterans' needs for the structural, functional, and quality elements of social support and connection, with opportunities to mitigate the impacts of social isolation and loneliness for this population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).