While the extent of family homelessness can be traced to broader economic and social issues, particularly the gap between income and rent, the availability of decent affordable low-income housing and the high poverty rates among families headed by women, much remains to be learned about the course of hopelessness and the experience of residential instability over time. Such information is critical for designing effective interventions and for the development of prevention strategies. This revised application proposes to add a longitudinal component to an ongoing, NIMH-funded study of 250 homeless and 250 housed families in Worcester, Massachusetts. It would build on the existing population-based case-control comparison of homeless and housed families and the strong collaborative relationships that have been developed with the Worcester community. The proposed prospective study would involve follow-up interviews of both mothers and their approximately 1000 children at 8, 16, and 24 months subsequent to the initial, baseline interview completed for the cross-sectional study. By following the sample of homeless and housed families for 24 months and collecting additional data over time. It will be possible to: 1) examine the natural course of homelessness among undomiciled families and the extent to which family homelessness is chronic or episodic; 2) compare and contrast factors that increase homelessness vulnerability with those that prolong it; 3) examine mediating factors, in particular social resources and their effects on residential stability for homeless women and their children; 4) describe the consequences of homelessness for women on service utilization, victimization, and other life stressors; 5) examine the consequences of homelessness, other risk, and protective factors (such as mother's mental health) on the development, socio- emotional adaptation, and academic achievement of children over time. A prospective study of community population-based samples of homeless and housed women and their children holds considerable promise for developing an understanding of the course of hopelessness for families, how factors influencing course differ from factors affecting vulnerability, and the consequences of hopelessness for women and children.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 18 publications
