Melissa E Dichter
Biographic Data
| ID | 302417 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Melissa E Dichter |
| GIVEN NAMES | Melissa E |
| FAMILY NAME | Dichter |
| SIGNATURE | DICHTER M E |
| AFFILIATIONS | Philadelphia VA Medical Center |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-4579-1400 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 39 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 109 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 39 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2007 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 6 |
Association Between Use of Services To Address Adverse Social Determinants of Health and Documented Suicide Attempt Among Patients in the Veterans Health Administration
Suicide prevention is a top priority for the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and suicide is often associated with adverse social factors (e.g., financial, legal, and housing problems). The VA provides social services integrated with healthcare services, which may increase the opportunities to detect and document suicide attempt in EHR records. Using VA administrative data, we examined three cohorts of all patients from 2014 to 2018 who ha…
Women's Perspectives on the Influence of Intimate Partner Violence on Substance Use Disorder Recovery and Associated Service Needs
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. Th…
Something Has to Be Done to Make Women Feel Safe”: Women Veterans’ Recommendations for Strengthening the Veterans Crisis Line for Women Veterans
Twelve-Month Sustainment of IPV Screening and Response Programs in Primary Care: Contextual Factors Impacting Implementation Success
The power of a look: Tracing webs of power in intimate partner violence through an everyday act
The relationship between power, control, and violence defines the experience of intimate partner violence, abuse that occurs within the context of a current or former intimate relationship. Coercive control, including using violence and threats of violence to restrict another's freedom, is an especially dangerous manifestation of intimate partner violence. In this article, we point to an under-explored modality of power and control as well as res…
Gender Differences in Connecting Veterans to Care Through the Veterans Crisis Line: A Mixed Methods Evaluation of Referrals to Suicide Prevention Coordinators
BACKGROUND: Suicide is a major public health crisis within the US military veteran community, with distinct gender differences in suicide risk and behavior. The Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) is a component of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) suicide prevention program; through VCL, veterans may be referred to a VHA Suicide Prevention Coordinator (SPC) to arrange follow-up care. Research shows that engagement with an SPC is a strong protectiv…
Examining veteran housing instability and mortality by homicide, suicide, and unintentional injury
To examine the relationship between Veterans’ housing instability and mortality by homicide, suicide, and unintentional injury, this retrospective study examined administrative data from Veterans Health Administration (VHA) patients who responded to the Homelessness Screening Clinical Reminder (HSCR) between October 1, 2012 and September 30, 2016 and were searched through the National Death Index (NDI) for date and cause of death (N = 5,850,044).…
Differences in childhood adversity, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempt among veterans and nonveterans
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are robustly associated with physical and mental health problems over the life span. Relatively limited research has examined the breadth of ACEs among military veteran populations, for whom ACEs may be premilitary traumas associated with suicidal ideation and attempt. Using data from the Comparative Health Assessment Interview Research Study, a large national survey sponsored by the U.S. Department of Veteran…
I’d Go from a Mountain Top and Tell My Story”: Perspectives of Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence on Storytelling for Social Change
Storytelling has well-documented therapeutic benefits for survivors of trauma. However, little is known about intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors' perspectives on sharing their stories. This article presents findings based on the analysis of 26 qualitative interviews with individuals who had experienced IPV regarding first-person story sharing. Participants described telling their stories as an act of healing and empowerment. They also name…
Intervention to address homelessness and all-cause and suicide mortality among unstably housed US Veterans, 2012–2016
Background People without stable housing—and Veterans specifically—are at increased risk of suicide. This study assessed whether unstably housed Veterans’ participation in homeless services is associated with reduced risk of all-cause and suicide mortality. Methods This retrospective cohort study used a sample of 169 221 Veterans across the US who self-reported housing instability between 1 October 2012 and 30 September 2016. Multivariable Cox re…
Accelerating Research on Suicide Risk and Prevention in Women Veterans Through Research-Operations Partnerships
Research to inform suicide prevention tailored to meet women veterans' needs is essential; however, many priorities and challenges remain unaddressed. Although Work Group efforts have achieved funding gains, further work to formalize, promote and meet the demands of a suicide prevention research agenda for women veterans requires is ongoing focus
Advancing Knowledge of Suicide Risk and Prevention Among Women: Introduction to the Supplement
We have reached a 30-year high in the rate of suicide in the United States, with a notable increase in the suicide rate among women.1 Suicide prevention among women has become especially important within the US Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA), as higher rates of suicide among women veterans has been observed compared with women nonveterans.2 Further, in this issue, Hoffmire and colleagues report that women veterans are 35% …
Gender Differences in the Predictors of Suicide-related Morbidity Among Veterans Reporting Current Housing Instability
BACKGROUND: Veterans experiencing housing instability are at increased risk of suicide. Research is needed to identify gender differences in the predictors of both suicidal ideation and suicide attempt, particularly among Veterans who are unstably housed. OBJECTIVES: The objective of the present study was to explore whether correlates of suicide-related morbidity among unstably housed Veterans vary by gender and identify implications for improved…
Provider Practices and Perspectives regarding Collection and Documentation of Gender Identity
Recent recommendations to include patient sexual orientation (SO) and gender identity (GI) in the electronic health record (EHR) aim to improve clinical care and address health disparities among sexual and gender minority patients. Collection and documentation of GI may be complex due to multiple clinically relevant components. This study explored provider practices in collecting and documenting GI across multiple specialties. Qualitative intervi…
Patients’ Perspectives on Elements of Stable Housing and Threats to Housing Stability
Objective: This study assessed how patients who screened positive for housing instability in a clinical outpatient setting perceived stable housing and threats to housing stability—understanding that will help to ensure that their housing needs are addressed. Method: We conducted qualitative interviews with 60 patients (40 men, 20 women) who sought services at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center in a large northeastern city and screened positive on…
Journey to Home: Development of a conceptual model to describe Veterans' experiences with resolving housing instability
Recent research has focused on risk factors for Veteran housing instability and programmatic responses. However, little is known about Veterans’ experiences of becoming unstably housed and navigating available resources to resolve housing crises. This qualitative paper, based on open-ended interviews with Veterans (n = 60), presents the Journey to Home conceptual model, which offers a framework for understanding Veterans’ journeys through housing…
The intersection of interpersonal violence and housing instability: Perspectives from women veterans
Women veterans in the United States face a disproportionate risk of housing instability (HI) and interpersonal violence (IV), largely perpetrated by intimate partners or involving nonpartner sexual violence, compared to both male veterans and nonveteran women. To explore the ways in which IV and HI intersect in the experiences of women veterans, we analyzed transcripts of in-depth qualitative interviews with 20 women veterans who had screened pos…
Women's Participation in Research on Intimate Partner Violence: Findings on Recruitment, Retention, and Participants' Experiences
Housing Instability Characteristics Among Transgender Veterans Cared for in the Veterans Health Administration, 2013–2016
Objectives. To characterize housing instability among transgender veterans using Veterans Health Administration (VHA) health care in the United States. Methods. We used administrative data on veterans screened for housing instability from 2013 to 2016; participants included 5717 transgender veterans and 17 133 cisgender veterans. We defined housing instability by a positive screen or VHA Homeless Program use. We identified gender from medical rec…
The Challenges Presented Around Collection of Patient Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Information For Reduction of Health Disparities
Temple University School of Social Work †VA Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, Philadelphia, PA ‡Department of Health Law, Policy and Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA The authors declare no conflict of interest. Reprints: Melissa E. Dichter, PhD, MSW, Temple University School of Social Work, 1301 Cecil B. Moore Avenue, Ritter Annex, Philadelphia, PA 19122. E-mail: [email protected]
The Idea of Categorizing Makes Me Feel Uncomfortable”: University Student Perspectives on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Labeling in the Healthcare Setting
Will Veterans Answer Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Questions
BACKGROUND: The Veterans Health Administration does not routinely collect and document sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data, despite existing health disparities among sexual and gender minority Veterans. Because of the legacy of previous Department of Defense (DoD) policies that prohibited disclosure of sexual or gender minority identities among active duty personnel, Veterans may be reluctant to respond to SOGI questions. OBJECTIVE…
Intimate Partner Violence Detection and Care in the Veterans Health Administration: Patient and Provider Perspectives
Women Veterans' Pathways to and Perspectives on Veterans Affairs Health Care
I Didn’t Want To Put Them Through That”: The Influence Of Children on Victim Decision-making in Intimate Partner Violence Cases
This Is the Story of Why My Military Career Ended Before It Should Have”: Premature Separation From Military Service Among U.S. Women Veterans
Women who serve in the military benefit from unique opportunities but face strains as a minority population and, compared to men, report greater dissatisfaction with their service and have shorter military careers. We interviewed 35 U.S. women veterans about their decisions to enter and leave military service. Premature separation—leaving military service before one plans, expects, or wants to—was a prominent theme and was often precipitated by g…
They Arrested Me-And I Was the Victim: Women's Experiences With Getting Arrested in the Context of Domestic Violence
Since the implementation of mandatory and pro-arrest policies, there has been a sharp increase in the number of women arrested for violence against intimate partners; many of these women are also victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). Through questionnaires and interviews, this study uncovers the experience of getting arrested from the perspective of women who were both victims of IPV and arrested in IPV-related incidents. Women reported tha…
Women’s Perceptions of Safety and Risk Following Police Intervention for Intimate Partner Violence
Police intervention is a primary response to intimate partner violence (IPV) but does not guarantee a victim's future safety. This study sought to identify factors associated with IPV survivors' perceptions of safety and risk of revictimization following police intervention. One hundred sixty-four women completed a questionnaire, and 11 of those women also took part in qualitative interviews. The findings revealed that feeling unsafe and perceivi…
Thoughts on the Use of Knowledge in Social Work Practice
The quest for making social work a discipline based entirely on empirical research findings is not new. In this article, the authors briefly review the field of social work in the United States during the past 100 years and discuss how the quest for the status of a profession forced the emphasis on empirical research. However, the authors claim that now and in the past, social work is a most complex field and that many of its basic ingredients ar…
In Our Voice: Survivors’ Recommendations for Change
Housing Instability Characteristics Among Transgender Veterans Cared for in the Veterans Health Administration, 2013–2016
Objectives. To characterize housing instability among transgender veterans using Veterans Health Administration (VHA) health care in the United States. Methods. We used administrative data on veterans screened for housing instability from 2013 to 2016; participants included 5717 transgender veterans and 17 133 cisgender veterans. We defined housing instability by a positive screen or VHA Homeless Program use. We identified gender from medical rec…
The Impact of Children on Legal Actions Taken by Women Victims of Intimate Partner Violence
The Idea of Categorizing Makes Me Feel Uncomfortable”: University Student Perspectives on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Labeling in the Healthcare Setting
Intimate Partner Violence Survivors’ Unmet Social Service Needs
Women who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization are at risk for physical and mental health problems, as well as social and economic challenges. In this cross-sectional study, 173 adult, English-speaking women who had experienced police response to IPV completed a self-report questionnaire about their use of, interest in, and need for various social services and whether or not each type of service helped (or would help) th…
Provider Practices and Perspectives regarding Collection and Documentation of Gender Identity
Recent recommendations to include patient sexual orientation (SO) and gender identity (GI) in the electronic health record (EHR) aim to improve clinical care and address health disparities among sexual and gender minority patients. Collection and documentation of GI may be complex due to multiple clinically relevant components. This study explored provider practices in collecting and documenting GI across multiple specialties. Qualitative intervi…
The quality of work life of child protective investigators: A comparison of two work environments
I’d Go from a Mountain Top and Tell My Story”: Perspectives of Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence on Storytelling for Social Change
Storytelling has well-documented therapeutic benefits for survivors of trauma. However, little is known about intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors' perspectives on sharing their stories. This article presents findings based on the analysis of 26 qualitative interviews with individuals who had experienced IPV regarding first-person story sharing. Participants described telling their stories as an act of healing and empowerment. They also name…
Patients’ Perspectives on Elements of Stable Housing and Threats to Housing Stability
Objective: This study assessed how patients who screened positive for housing instability in a clinical outpatient setting perceived stable housing and threats to housing stability—understanding that will help to ensure that their housing needs are addressed. Method: We conducted qualitative interviews with 60 patients (40 men, 20 women) who sought services at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center in a large northeastern city and screened positive on…
Journey to Home: Development of a conceptual model to describe Veterans' experiences with resolving housing instability
Recent research has focused on risk factors for Veteran housing instability and programmatic responses. However, little is known about Veterans’ experiences of becoming unstably housed and navigating available resources to resolve housing crises. This qualitative paper, based on open-ended interviews with Veterans (n = 60), presents the Journey to Home conceptual model, which offers a framework for understanding Veterans’ journeys through housing…
Victim Participation in Intimate Partner Violence Prosecution: Implications for Safety
Are intimate partner violence (IPV) victims safer if they use the criminal justice system? Concerns about perpetrator retaliation, in the face of data that protection orders can reduce future harm, make it important to understand how victim utilization (calling 911, talking to the prosecutor, and proceeding with prosecution) affects subsequent safety. We hypothesized participation would improve victims’ safety, measured by decreases in subsequent…
The Benefits of Learning Social Welfare: Lessons from Student Perspectives
It is widely assumed that most entering MSW students exhibit a primary interest in individual clinical practice but minimal understanding of or interest in welfare policy knowledge. However, this assumption is mostly based on attitudes before and at the beginning of encountering social welfare courses. Using a mixed-methods approach of both qualitative and quantitative methods, we studied the impact of a social welfare history and policy course o…
Thoughts on the Use of Knowledge in Social Work Practice
The quest for making social work a discipline based entirely on empirical research findings is not new. In this article, the authors briefly review the field of social work in the United States during the past 100 years and discuss how the quest for the status of a profession forced the emphasis on empirical research. However, the authors claim that now and in the past, social work is a most complex field and that many of its basic ingredients ar…
The quality of work life of child protective investigators: A comparison of two work environments
The Benefits of Learning Social Welfare: Lessons from Student Perspectives
It is widely assumed that most entering MSW students exhibit a primary interest in individual clinical practice but minimal understanding of or interest in welfare policy knowledge. However, this assumption is mostly based on attitudes before and at the beginning of encountering social welfare courses. Using a mixed-methods approach of both qualitative and quantitative methods, we studied the impact of a social welfare history and policy course o…
I Didn’t Want To Put Them Through That”: The Influence Of Children on Victim Decision-making in Intimate Partner Violence Cases
Engaging With Criminal Prosecution: The Victim's Perspective
Despite more than a decade of policies that encourage prosecutors to proceed without the victim's input or actions in cases of intimate partner violence (IPV), prosecutors still often rely on the victim's participation to move a case forward. The purpose of this study was to identify the barriers and motivators influencing female IPV victims' engagement with the criminal justice system and their preferences regarding prosecution. Findings from fo…
Intimate Partner Violence Victimization Among Women Veterans and Associated Heart Health Risks
The Impact of Children on Legal Actions Taken by Women Victims of Intimate Partner Violence
Intimate Partner Violence Survivors’ Unmet Social Service Needs
Women who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization are at risk for physical and mental health problems, as well as social and economic challenges. In this cross-sectional study, 173 adult, English-speaking women who had experienced police response to IPV completed a self-report questionnaire about their use of, interest in, and need for various social services and whether or not each type of service helped (or would help) th…
Women’s Perceptions of Safety and Risk Following Police Intervention for Intimate Partner Violence
Police intervention is a primary response to intimate partner violence (IPV) but does not guarantee a victim's future safety. This study sought to identify factors associated with IPV survivors' perceptions of safety and risk of revictimization following police intervention. One hundred sixty-four women completed a questionnaire, and 11 of those women also took part in qualitative interviews. The findings revealed that feeling unsafe and perceivi…
They Arrested Me-And I Was the Victim: Women's Experiences With Getting Arrested in the Context of Domestic Violence
Since the implementation of mandatory and pro-arrest policies, there has been a sharp increase in the number of women arrested for violence against intimate partners; many of these women are also victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). Through questionnaires and interviews, this study uncovers the experience of getting arrested from the perspective of women who were both victims of IPV and arrested in IPV-related incidents. Women reported tha…
Demographic Characteristics Associated with Homelessness and Risk Among Female and Male Veterans Accessing VHA Outpatient Care
Victim Participation in Intimate Partner Violence Prosecution: Implications for Safety
Are intimate partner violence (IPV) victims safer if they use the criminal justice system? Concerns about perpetrator retaliation, in the face of data that protection orders can reduce future harm, make it important to understand how victim utilization (calling 911, talking to the prosecutor, and proceeding with prosecution) affects subsequent safety. We hypothesized participation would improve victims’ safety, measured by decreases in subsequent…
This Is the Story of Why My Military Career Ended Before It Should Have”: Premature Separation From Military Service Among U.S. Women Veterans
Women who serve in the military benefit from unique opportunities but face strains as a minority population and, compared to men, report greater dissatisfaction with their service and have shorter military careers. We interviewed 35 U.S. women veterans about their decisions to enter and leave military service. Premature separation—leaving military service before one plans, expects, or wants to—was a prominent theme and was often precipitated by g…
In Our Voice: Survivors’ Recommendations for Change
Intimate Partner Violence Detection and Care in the Veterans Health Administration: Patient and Provider Perspectives
Women Veterans' Pathways to and Perspectives on Veterans Affairs Health Care
Will Veterans Answer Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Questions
BACKGROUND: The Veterans Health Administration does not routinely collect and document sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data, despite existing health disparities among sexual and gender minority Veterans. Because of the legacy of previous Department of Defense (DoD) policies that prohibited disclosure of sexual or gender minority identities among active duty personnel, Veterans may be reluctant to respond to SOGI questions. OBJECTIVE…
Women's Participation in Research on Intimate Partner Violence: Findings on Recruitment, Retention, and Participants' Experiences
Housing Instability Characteristics Among Transgender Veterans Cared for in the Veterans Health Administration, 2013–2016
Objectives. To characterize housing instability among transgender veterans using Veterans Health Administration (VHA) health care in the United States. Methods. We used administrative data on veterans screened for housing instability from 2013 to 2016; participants included 5717 transgender veterans and 17 133 cisgender veterans. We defined housing instability by a positive screen or VHA Homeless Program use. We identified gender from medical rec…
The Challenges Presented Around Collection of Patient Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Information For Reduction of Health Disparities
Temple University School of Social Work †VA Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, Philadelphia, PA ‡Department of Health Law, Policy and Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA The authors declare no conflict of interest. Reprints: Melissa E. Dichter, PhD, MSW, Temple University School of Social Work, 1301 Cecil B. Moore Avenue, Ritter Annex, Philadelphia, PA 19122. E-mail: [email protected]
The Idea of Categorizing Makes Me Feel Uncomfortable”: University Student Perspectives on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Labeling in the Healthcare Setting
Patients’ Perspectives on Elements of Stable Housing and Threats to Housing Stability
Objective: This study assessed how patients who screened positive for housing instability in a clinical outpatient setting perceived stable housing and threats to housing stability—understanding that will help to ensure that their housing needs are addressed. Method: We conducted qualitative interviews with 60 patients (40 men, 20 women) who sought services at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center in a large northeastern city and screened positive on…
Journey to Home: Development of a conceptual model to describe Veterans' experiences with resolving housing instability
Recent research has focused on risk factors for Veteran housing instability and programmatic responses. However, little is known about Veterans’ experiences of becoming unstably housed and navigating available resources to resolve housing crises. This qualitative paper, based on open-ended interviews with Veterans (n = 60), presents the Journey to Home conceptual model, which offers a framework for understanding Veterans’ journeys through housing…
The intersection of interpersonal violence and housing instability: Perspectives from women veterans
Women veterans in the United States face a disproportionate risk of housing instability (HI) and interpersonal violence (IV), largely perpetrated by intimate partners or involving nonpartner sexual violence, compared to both male veterans and nonveteran women. To explore the ways in which IV and HI intersect in the experiences of women veterans, we analyzed transcripts of in-depth qualitative interviews with 20 women veterans who had screened pos…
Examining veteran housing instability and mortality by homicide, suicide, and unintentional injury
To examine the relationship between Veterans’ housing instability and mortality by homicide, suicide, and unintentional injury, this retrospective study examined administrative data from Veterans Health Administration (VHA) patients who responded to the Homelessness Screening Clinical Reminder (HSCR) between October 1, 2012 and September 30, 2016 and were searched through the National Death Index (NDI) for date and cause of death (N = 5,850,044).…
Medicine (31 works) · Psychology (29 works) · Poison control (19 works) · Suicide prevention (19 works) · Political science (16 works) · Intimate Partner and Family Violence (15 works) · Sociology (15 works) · Medical emergency (14 works) · Psychiatry (14 works) · Social Psychology (13 works)