Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #101133

ManSoo Yu, MSW, MA, George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University, Campus Box 1196, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130-4899, (314) 432-0187, msy1@gwbmail.wustl.edu, Carol S. North, MD, MPE, School of Medicine, Washington University, Department of Psychiatry, 660 S Euclid, CB 8134, Renard Building, Room 2210, St. Louis, MO 63110, and Patricia D. Lavesser, PhD, OTR/L, The Program of Occupational Therapy, School of Medicine, Washington University, Campus Box 8505, 444 Forest Park Ave., St. Louis, MO 63108.

This study examines the prevalence and predictors of children's psychiatric disorders, behavioral problems and cognitive ability in a sample of 157 randomly selected homeless children and 61 housed children matched by age and location. Psychiatric diagnoses were made with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for the children's mothers and the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children for their children. Verbal and nonverbal cognitive functions were measured with the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test for both mothers and children. The Child Behavior Checklist provided a range of psychosocial and behavioral assessments. One-third (33%) of the children met diagnostic criteria, including 24% with anxiety disorders, the most prevalent among the children. Significantly more homeless than housed mothers met the criteria for a diagnosis of substance abuse/dependence (39% vs. 22%) and for post traumatic stress disorder (35% vs. 12%). Children of homeless mothers had more disruptive disorders, more social and externalizing problems, and lower verbal cognition than housed children. After controlling for children's and mothers' demographics and homelessness histories, multivariate analyses revealed that mothers' composite verbal and nonverbal scores and children's nonverbal scores were associated with children's verbal ability. Male gender and children's social problems predicted children's externalizing problems. Homelessness history was related only to children's disruptive disorders. Mothers' psychiatric disorders were not related to children's psychiatric disorders, problem behaviors, and cognitive ability. These findings suggest that intervention and prevention programs to address children's cognitive and behavioral difficulties should consider additional programming to address the mother's needs as well.

Learning Objectives:

Session participants will be able to
• Identify similarities and differences in psychiatric disorders, problem behaviors and cognitive ability between homeless and housed children.
• Understand how mothers influence children’s development.
• Explain the relationships among psychiatric disorders, problem behaviors and cognitive ability, controlling for homelessness.

Keywords: Homelessness, Child/Adolescent Mental Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation