The characteristics and needs of sheltered homeless and low-income housed mothers
The characteristics and needs of sheltered homeless and low-income housed mothers
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DOI：
10.1001/jama.276.8.640
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发表时间：
1996-01-01
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Bassuk, Shari S.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Bassuk, Ellen L.;Weinreb, Linda F.;Bassuk, Shari S.
目的：比较无家可归和低收入家庭母亲在经济、心理社会和身体健康领域的特征。设计：病例对照研究。环境：马萨诸塞州伍斯特社区参与者：220名无家可归的母亲和216名领取福利的低收入家庭母亲的横断面样本。主要观察指标：收入、住房、生活事件、社会支持、虐待和攻击病史、身心健康。结果：流浪母亲和寄宿母亲的比较发现了一些重要的相似和不同之处。年收入低于7000的无家可归母亲比例为46%，寄宿母亲比例为17%(P lt.01)。无家可归的母亲比住在家里的母亲经历了更多的居住不稳定(3.8个搬家比1.8个搬家；Plt.001)，并且有更小的支持网络(Plt.001)。无家可归的母亲报告一生中遭受严重身体和性侵犯的比例高于有房母亲(91.6%比81.1%；Plt.003)。在心理和身体健康方面，两组之间没有发现显著差异。然而，与一般女性人群相比，严重抑郁障碍、创伤后应激障碍和药物使用障碍的终生患病率过高。与普通人群相比，这两组人的身体功能都较低，而慢性健康状况的患病率较高。结论：与收容无家可归的母亲相比，收容无家可归的母亲的经济资源和社会支持更少，而在其一生中遭受暴力虐待和攻击的累积比率更高。然而，这两个群体都面临着损害家庭福祉的极端逆境。从业者和社会政策制定者在提供治疗和制定项目干预措施时，需要认识到这些母亲在经济、心理社会和身体健康方面的多重需求。
Objective: To compare characteristics of homeless and low-income housed mothers across economic, psychosocial, and physical health domains. Design: Case-control study. Setting: Community of Worcester, Mass. Participants: A cross-sectional sample of 220 sheltered homeless mothers and 216 low-income housed (never homeless) mothers receiving welfare. Main Outcome Measures: Income, housing, life events, social support, history of abuse and assault, and mental and physical health. Results: Comparison of homeless and housed mothers revealed some important similarities and differences. The proportion of homeless mothers with annual incomes of less than 7000 was 46% vs 17% for housed mothers (P lt .01). Homeless mothers experienced more residential instability than the housed mothers (3.8 moves vs 1.8 moves; P lt .001) and had smaller support networks (P lt .001). More homeless mothers reported severe physical and sexual assault over the lifespan than housed mothers (91.6% vs 81.1%; P lt .003). No significant differences were found between the groups in mental and physical health. However, the lifetime prevalence of major depressive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and substance use disorders was overrepresented compared to the general female population. Both groups had lower physical functioning compared to the general population and a higher prevalence of chronic health conditions. Conclusion: Sheltered homeless mothers had fewer economic resources and social supports and higher cumulative rates of violent abuse and assault over their lifespans than their housed counterparts. However, both groups faced extreme adversity that compromised family well-being. Practitioners and social policymakers need to be cognizant of the multiple economic, psychosocial, and physical health needs of these mothers in providing treatment and developing program interventions.