The proposed longitudinal project aims to clarify the dynamic relationship between homelessness and mental health among mothers and children in New York City. It seeks to understand the degree to which mental illness leads to homelessness, the degree to which homelessness may lead to mental illness in adults and emotional disturbance, health problems, and school problems in children, and the extent to which mental illness hinders the resettlement of those who are homeless. The study will examine shelter use in the context of a number of other indicators of residential instability such as not being a primary tenant or living in substandard or unaffordable housing. The study also investigates the role of other risk factors, such as stressful life events and demographic characteristics, and factors which may protect children and families from risk and foster adaptive outcomes. These protective factors include personal characteristics, coping skills, and supportive relationship with other people, social services, and community ties. The project uses and builds on a rich data set based on in-person interviews with 701 homeless families in New York City and a comparison sample of 524 families drawn from the public assistance case load. All will be followed in administrative records to determine patterns of shelter use over time. In addition, both mothers and children in families who were new entrants to shelter at the initial interview and housed families who had never used shelter will be re-interviewed. Final samples of over 700 mothers and over 1000 children will permit detailed analyses of the role of risk and protective factors in homelessness and residential instability.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01MH046116-05
Application #
2246941
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (SRCM (L9))
Project Start
1990-08-01
Project End
1996-07-31
Budget Start
1994-08-01
Budget End
1996-07-31
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
1994
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
New York University
Department
Psychology
Type
Other Domestic Higher Education
DUNS #
004514360
City
New York
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
10012
Toohey, Siobhan M; Shinn, Marybeth; Weitzman, Beth C (2004) Social networks and homelessness among women heads of household. Am J Community Psychol 33:7-20
Cowal, Kirsten; Shinn, Marybeth; Weitzman, Beth C et al. (2002) Mother-child separations among homeless and housed families receiving public assistance in New York City. Am J Community Psychol 30:711-30
Duchon, L M; Weitzman, B C; Shinn, M (1999) The relationship of residential instability to medical care utilization among poor mothers in New York City. Med Care 37:1282-93
Shinn, M; Weitzman, B C; Stojanovic, D et al. (1998) Predictors of homelessness among families in New York City: from shelter request to housing stability. Am J Public Health 88:1651-7
Shinn, M (1997) Family homelessness: state or trait? Am J Community Psychol 25:755-69
Weitzman, B C; Knickman, J R; Shinn, M (1992) Predictors of shelter use among low-income families: psychiatric history, substance abuse, and victimization. Am J Public Health 82:1547-50
Shinn, M (1992) Homelessness: what is a psychologist to do? Am J Community Psychol 20:1-24
Rafferty, Y; Shinn, M (1991) The impact of homelessness on children. Am Psychol 46:1170-9
Shinn, M; Knickman, J R; Weitzman, B C (1991) Social relationships and vulnerability to becoming homeless among poor families. Am Psychol 46:1180-7