The medical origins of homelessness.
In 1989 through 1990, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of 1437 homeless adults in northern California (98% response rate). Prevalences of alcohol abuse, illegal drug use, and psychiatric hospitalization when adults first became homeless were 15% to 33% lower than prevalences following homelessness. The largest differences between the homeless and a comparison group of 3122 nonhomeless adults were for psychiatric hospitalization (odds ratios [ORs] of 4.6 for men and 5.9 for women) and alcohol abuse (ORs of 2.3 for men and 4.0 for women). However, when prehomeless prevalences of addictive and psychiatric disorders were compared with prevalences among the nonhomeless, absolute differences were no greater than 12%.
Winkleby
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MA
Stanford Center for Research in Disease Prevention, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto 94304-1885.
Rockhill
B
B
Jatulis
D
D
Fortmann
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SP
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005581:Foster Home Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D044469:Racial Groups; D012307:Risk Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires