History of Arrest and Longitudinal Trajectories of Loneliness Among Low-Income U.S. Military Veterans

Loneliness is a growing public health concern, particularly among older persons and U.S. military veterans, yet little is known about how specific life experiences contribute to persistent loneliness over time. This study examines whether a history of arrest is associated with loneliness patterns over time among low-income veterans. Using five waves (2021–2025) of data from the nationally representative NV-HOPE study ( n = 674), group-based trajectory modeling identified four loneliness trajectories: no loneliness (22.8%), low loneliness (28.3%), moderate loneliness (28.2%), and high loneliness (20.7%). Multinomial logistic regression revealed that veterans with an arrest history were significantly more likely to experience high loneliness (RRR = 2.406, 95% CI = 1.193–4.849), net of covariates. Findings highlight arrest as a life course exposure associated with loneliness. Future research is needed to examine intervention approaches that are effective for addressing loneliness among justice-involved veterans.