Homelessness is a complex problem facing health and social systems in the United States. Women, as heads of families, constitute the fastest growing group of homeless persons. Preliminary evidence indicates that characteristics of the family of origin may predict later homelessness. Therefore, the aims of this study are to: 1) Compare childhood experiences of intimacy and autonomy as they occurred in families of origin between women who have and women who have not experienced homelessness; 2) Compare social support, reciprocity, and conflict as they occurred in the childhood support networks and in the current support networks of women who have and women who have not experienced homelessness; and 3) Examine the relationships between intimacy and autonomy in families of origin and the social support networks from childhood of women who have and women who have not experienced homelessness. To achieve these aims the proposed study will use a descriptive correlational design. Eighty-one homeless and 81 never- homeless women will complete three tools designed to measure the research variables: 1) Interpersonal Relationship Inventory (IPRI), an instrument that measures social support, reciprocity, and conflict using three subscales that are scored individually; 2) Interpersonal Relationship Inventory-Adapted, the IPRI revised to measure social support, reciprocity, and conflict as perceived during one's past childhood; and 3) Family of Origin Scale, an instrument to measure the health of one's family of origin based on intimacy and autonomy within that family. Homeless women and never-homeless women will be recruited from shelters, support groups, and by fliers placed in strategic locations in the Pacific Northwest. Data will be collected individually from the women to allow for confidentiality, completion, and to answer questions or concerns of the women interviewed. Quantitative data will be analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical analyses. Narrative data from interviews will be described verbatim and analyzed using content analysis methods. The long term goal of this study is to provide the basis for an intervention program for women early in their homelessness.
