HOMELESS MOTHERS AND CHILDREN--LONGITUDINAL STUDY

(改编自申请者摘要)：虽然家庭的范围 无家可归可以追溯到更广泛的经济和社会问题， 尤其是收入和租金之间的差距，体面的住房供应 负担得起的低收入住房和家庭的高贫困率 在女性的带领下，还有很多事情需要了解 随着时间的推移，绝望和居住不稳定的经历。 这些信息对于设计有效的干预措施和 用于制定预防战略。此修订后的应用程序 建议在NIMH资助的一项正在进行的研究中增加一个纵向部分 马萨诸塞州伍斯特的250个无家可归者和250个有住房的家庭。它 将建立在现有以人群为基础的病例对照比较的基础上 无家可归和有住房的家庭以及牢固的合作关系 是与伍斯特社区共同开发的。建议数 前瞻性研究将包括对母亲和 他们的大约1000个孩子在8、16和24个月后 为这项横断面研究完成的初步基线访谈。 通过对无家可归者和有住房家庭的样本进行24个月的跟踪调查 随着时间的推移收集额外的数据。将有可能：1)检查 无住所家庭无家可归的自然过程和 家庭无家可归是慢性或间歇性的程度；2)比较 将增加无家可归者脆弱性的因素与那些 3)考察中介因素，特别是社会因素 资源及其对无家可归妇女居住稳定性的影响 和他们的孩子；4)描述无家可归的后果 女性对服务利用、受害等生活压力源的认识； 5)检查无家可归、其他风险和保护措施的后果 影响发育的因素(如母亲的心理健康)、社会-- 随着时间的推移，儿童的情绪适应和学习成绩。一个 以社区人群为基础的无家可归者和流浪者样本的前瞻性研究 寄宿妇女和她们的孩子有很大的发展前景 对家庭绝望过程的理解，如何影响因素 影响过程不同于影响脆弱性的因素，并且 对妇女和儿童的绝望后果。

(Adapted from Applicant's Abstract): While the extent of family homelessness can be traced to broader economic and social issues, particularly the gap between income and rent, the availability of decent affordable low-income housing and the high poverty rates among families headed by women, much remains to be learned about the course of hopelessness and the experience of residential instability over time. Such information is critical for designing effective interventions and for the development of prevention strategies. This revised application proposes to add a longitudinal component to an ongoing, NIMH-funded study of 250 homeless and 250 housed families in Worcester, Massachusetts. It would build on the existing population-based case-control comparison of homeless and housed families and the strong collaborative relationships that have been developed with the Worcester community. The proposed prospective study would involve follow-up interviews of both mothers and their approximately 1000 children at 8, 16, and 24 months subsequent to the initial, baseline interview completed for the cross-sectional study. By following the sample of homeless and housed families for 24 months and collecting additional data over time. It will be possible to: 1) examine the natural course of homelessness among undomiciled families and the extent to which family homelessness is chronic or episodic; 2) compare and contrast factors that increase homelessness vulnerability with those that prolong it; 3) examine mediating factors, in particular social resources and their effects on residential stability for homeless women and their children; 4) describe the consequences of homelessness for women on service utilization, victimization, and other life stressors; 5) examine the consequences of homelessness, other risk, and protective factors (such as mother's mental health) on the development, socio- emotional adaptation, and academic achievement of children over time. A prospective study of community population-based samples of homeless and housed women and their children holds considerable promise for developing an understanding of the course of hopelessness for families, how factors influencing course differ from factors affecting vulnerability, and the consequences of hopelessness for women and children.