title: Mental illness and substance use problems in relation to homelessness onset.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The relationships among youth (≤ 24 years) versus adult (>24 years) homelessness onset, lifetime serious mental illness, and substance use problems is not well understood. We sought to explore these associations among 394 homeless adults, 124 of whom reported youth-onset homelessness.
  
  
  METHODS
  Covariate-adjusted logistic regression analyses evaluated the associations among homelessness onset, serious mental illness, and self-reported substance use problems.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Youth-onset homelessness was associated with greater likelihood of serious mental illness and sedative problems, and a lower likelihood of cocaine problems, in adjusted analyses (p values ≤ .04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serious mental illness and sedative problems may characterize homeless youth who are vulnerable to adulthood homelessness, although longitudinal cohort studies are needed to explicate temporal relations between variables.
authors.affiliation: The University of Houston, College of Education, Department of Psychological, Health, and Learning Sciences, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Childress
authors.affiliation: The University of Houston, College of Education, Department of Psychological, Health, and Learning Sciences, Houston, TX, USA; Affiliated with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX, USA. Lrreitzel@uh.edu.
authors.forename: Lorraine R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Reitzel
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas Health Science Center, School of Nursing, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Diane Santa
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Maria
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas Health Science Center, School of Public Health, Dallas, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Darla E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Kendzor
authors.affiliation: The University of Houston, College of Education, Department of Psychological, Health, and Learning Sciences, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Alexis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moisiuc
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas Health Science Center, School of Public Health, Dallas, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Businelle
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D005260:Female; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology