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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Jason Bond, PhD, Alcohol Research Group, Public Health Institute, Bay Center Bldg C, Suite 400, 6475 Christie Ave, Emeryville, CA 94608, 510-642-5208, jbond@arg.org, Laura A. Schmidt, PhD, Institute for Health Policy Studies and Department of Anthropology, History and Social Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California Street, Suite 265, San Francisco, CA 94118, James Wiley, PhD, Public Research Institute, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA 94132, and E. Anne Lown, DrPH, Alcohol Research Group, 2000 Hearst Street, Ste 300, Berkeley, CA 94705.

Prior studies of US homeless populations have found disproportionately high rates of mental health and substance abuse problems. In particular, rates of these problems as well as violent victimization are high and have been found to be associated with chronic and repeat homelessness. Welfare populations present a unique opportunity for studying homelessness, as they have been estimated to capture anywhere between 18-52% of the homeless population.

Using data from the Welfare Client Longitudinal Study, a total of N=718 aid recipients were followed and re-interviewed at 12 and 24 months after baseline. In a multinomial logistic regression analysis, those reporting no homelessness were more likely to be married (p<.001), from the TANF population (p<.05), and older (p<.001) than those reporting only a doubled-up living arrangement (living with family, friends, etc.). Those reporting any public or private homelessness (bus stations, cars, motels, shelters, jail, etc.) were more likely to be male (p<.01), married (p<.001), and to have any DSM-IV drug diagnosis (p<.05), reported any violent victimization (p<.05), and to have a higher global severity index of mental health problems (p<.05) 12 months prior to baseline than those reporting only doubling-up.

These results are consistent previous findings, that those with SA and MH problems and victims of violence are at a higher risk for more severe forms of homelessness. Future research should assess not only the presence but the duration of homelessness to target those most at risk for extreme forms of homelessness.

Learning Objectives:

• To understand the relationship between severity and homelessness and substance abuse problems in welfare populations
• To identify and discuss risk factors for the most severe forms of homelessness in disadvantaged populations
• Develop a set of candidate screening items for assessing extreme homelessness in disadvantaged populations

Keywords: Homelessness, Substance Abuse Assessment

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No