Risk factors for homelessness: A structural equation approach

Abstract

This study aims to assess the pathway relationships between adolescent adversities, adult addictive behaviours, divorce, conviction, long-standing unemployment, disability, and homelessness. A structural equation model was estimated using data on n1 = 677 homeless men and n2 = 651 housed men of the same age and educational distribution, living in Warsaw, Poland. Retrospective adolescent adversities were found to be significantly related to the occurrence of adult homelessness (p ≤ .01). This relationship was mainly indirect and largely mediated by addictive behaviours, divorce, conviction, and unemployment. Addiction, divorce, and conviction were the three most frequent events preceding homelessness and were likely to coincide. The first job experience did not differentiate the two groups from each other. However, homeless individuals were more likely to currently prefer self-employment over wage employment. Low perceived importance of family life and preference for self-employment over wage employment were hypothesised to be related to the severity of homelessness.