TY  - JOUR
PY  - 1997//
TI  - Adverse childhood experiences: are they risk factors for adult homelessness?
JO  - American journal of public health
A1  - Herman, D. B.
A1  - Susser, E. S.
A1  - Struening, E. L.
A1  - Link, B. L.
SP  - 249
EP  - 255
VL  - 87
IS  - 2
N2  - OBJECTIVES: We tested the hypothesis that adverse childhood experiences are risk factors for adult homelessness. METHODS: We interviewed a nationally representative sample of 92 US household members who had previously been homeless and a comparison group of 395 individuals with no prior homelessness. We assessed childhood adversity with a structured protocol that included a previously validated scale indicating lack of care from parents and single-item measures of physical and sexual abuse. RESULTS: Lack of care from a parent during childhood sharply increased the likelihood of subsequent homelessness (odds ratio [OR] = 13), as did physical abuse (OR = 16). Sexual abuse during childhood was associated with a nonsignificant trend toward homelessness (OR = 1.7). The risk of subsequent homelessness among individuals who experienced both lack of care and either type of abuse was dramatically increased compared with subjects reporting neither of these adversities (OR = 26). CONCLUSIONS: Adverse childhood experiences are powerful risk factors for adult homelessness. Effectively reducing child abuse and neglect may ultimately help prevent critical social problems including homelessness.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0090-0036
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -