{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,21]],"date-time":"2026-09-21T13:02:26Z","timestamp":1789995746222,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,1]],"date-time":"2026-06-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1780272000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":92,"URL":"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/termsAndConditions#vor"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,1]],"date-time":"2026-03-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1772323200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["The Journal of Rural Health"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,3]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Purpose<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>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.\u00a0Inadequate social support is a major obstacle to help\u2010seeking during crises. This study describes the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a peer\u2010driven, community\u2010based Veterans Socials (VS) to enhance support networks and connect non\u2010VA\u2010enrolled rural veterans to a supportive, information\u2010rich community environment.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      In partnership with a VA Medical Center, six peer specialist\u2010led social groups were established over 13 months to engage rural veterans in three states. This mixed\u2010methods study utilized cross\u2010sectional participant surveys (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 23), semi\u2010structured interviews (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 8), and host\u2010completed 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.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Findings<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      VS averaged 5.07 veterans per event. VS reached key demographics, including veterans not engaged in VA healthcare (22%;\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 5) and those at high\u2010risk for isolation or loneliness (57%;\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 13). Preliminary effectiveness was achieved with 65% (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 15) of participants reporting new friendships. All benchmarks for preliminary effectiveness (friend\u2010making), 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.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Peer\u2010led, community\u2010based 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\u2010driven models a promising strategy for improving health outcomes for rural veterans.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1111\/jrh.70169","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,1]],"date-time":"2026-06-01T09:40:03Z","timestamp":1780306803000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Connecting Rural Veterans: Community\u2010Based Peer Social Interventions to Advance Health and Resource Access"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"42","author":[{"given":"Jay A.","family":"Gorman","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"VISN 1 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC)  Bedford Massachusetts USA"},{"name":"VA Bedford Healthcare System  Bedford Massachusetts USA"},{"name":"Department of Psychiatry Boston University School of Medicine  Boston Massachusetts USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hannah L.","family":"Grigorian","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"VISN 1 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC)  Bedford Massachusetts USA"},{"name":"VA Bedford Healthcare System  Bedford Massachusetts USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Brian J.","family":"Stevenson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"VISN 1 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC)  Bedford Massachusetts USA"},{"name":"VA Bedford Healthcare System  Bedford Massachusetts USA"},{"name":"Department of Psychiatry UMass Chan Medical School  Worcester Massachusetts USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kendra E.","family":"Pugh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"VISN 1 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC)  Bedford Massachusetts USA"},{"name":"VA Bedford Healthcare System  Bedford Massachusetts USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Madeleine M.","family":"Kaubrys","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"VISN 1 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC)  Bedford Massachusetts USA"},{"name":"VA Bedford Healthcare System  Bedford Massachusetts USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Michael A.","family":"Leeman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"VA Cheyenne Healthcare System  Cheyenne Wyoming USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Michele I.","family":"Kane","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"VA Cheyenne Healthcare System  Cheyenne Wyoming USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lauren B.","family":"Sinclair","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"VA Cheyenne Healthcare System  Cheyenne Wyoming USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kyle","family":"Bewsey","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"VA Cheyenne Healthcare System  Cheyenne Wyoming USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_10_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0275004"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/bul0000316"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ssmmh.2021.100042"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_5_1","unstructured":"Office of the Surgeon General (OSG)\u201cOur Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community \u201d (US Department of Health and Human Services 2023)."},{"key":"e_1_2_10_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pmed.1000316"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jagp.2021.07.006"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00127-020-01862-4"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/ser0000627"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_10_1","unstructured":"H.Poll \u201cA Survey About Mental Health and Suicide in the United States \u201d (Anxiety and Depression Association of America and National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention 2015)."},{"key":"e_1_2_10_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s44184-022-00004-9"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00127-007-0212-1"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/da.20722"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/20008198.2020.1851078"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_15_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/ser0000233"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_16_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/mil0000169"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_17_1","unstructured":"VA Office of Rural Health(2023).2023 Thrive Annual Report. 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