Stressors, resources, and distress among homeless persons: a longitudinal analysis.
Relations among stressors, resources, and psychological distress were examined using two waves of data obtained from a probability sample of homeless persons (N = 430) residing in a large, demographically diverse county in North California. The focus of research was to examine whether and how social resources and housing resources directly affect distress and mediate the impact of stress factors on depressive symptoms. Path analysis results revealed that levels of psychological distress were responsive to change in objective housing circumstances, with the attainment of domicile status being associated with fewer distress symptoms. Our findings, however, indicated only modest effects of social resources on psychological distress through direct effects and mediating effects of life stressors on distress. Overall, the study suggests that the relationships among stressors, resources, and distress for homeless persons may be understood within the same analytical framework for the general population.
Wong
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School of Social Work, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6214, USA. iwong@ssw.upenn.edu
Piliavin
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology; D005581:Foster Home Care / Q000523:psychology; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000523:psychology; D008016:Life Change Events; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*