ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES - ARE THEY RISK-FACTORS FOR ADULT HOMELESSNESS

Objectives. We tested the hypothesis that adverse childhood experience s are risk factors for adult homelessness. Methods. We interviewed a n ationally representative sample of 92 US household members who had pre viously been homeless and a comparison group of 395 individuals with n o prior homelessness. We assessed childhood adversity with a structure d protocol that included a previously validated scale indicating lack of care from parents and single-item measures of physical and sexual a buse. Results. Lack of care from a parent during childhood sharply inc reased 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 = 2 6). Conclusions. Adverse childhood experiences an powerful risk factor s for adult homelessness. Effectively reducing child abuse and neglect may ultimately help prevent critical social problems including homele ssness.