Abstract
The present study explored differences between women who are currently housed but are at risk for homelessness versus homeless women in a middle-sized city in the southeast. The research focused on experiences in the women's history which might explain some differences between homeless women and women who are at risk for homelessness but are currently housed through public-assistance programs. 98 women from a community emergency shelter and public-assistance programs were either interviewed or completed questionnaires. The questionnaires assessed the women's history of mental illness, employment and housing problems, physical and sexual abuse, drug and alcohol problems, and skills for building and maintaining relationships. The women were young (18-35 years), about 80% were single mothers and about 50% had children living with them. t tests for independent samples indicated that compared to 48 at-risk housed women, the 50 homeless women reported a history of more symptoms of mental illness, more instability of employment and housing, more physical and sexual abuse, more drug and alcohol problems, and fewer skills for interacting with others. When all variables were entered simultaneously into a multiple regression equation, only skills for interacting accounted for a significant proportion of the variability between the two groups of women.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.