Untangling the relationship between mental health and homelessness among a sample of arrestees

Past research has focused on the intertwined relationship between homelessness, mental illness, and criminal justice. Although a well-established correlation between mental illness and homelessness has emerged, a better understanding of how this may be mediated by other prominent risk factors such a...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Fox, Andrew M. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2016
In: Crime & delinquency
Year: 2016, Volume: 62, Issue: 5, Pages: 592-613
Online Access: Volltext (Resolving-System)
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Keywords:
Homelessness
Mental health
Substance use
Victimization
Incarceration
Arrestees
Obdachlosigkeit
Delinquenz
Psychische Gesundheit
Inhaftierung
Description
Summary:Past research has focused on the intertwined relationship between homelessness, mental illness, and criminal justice. Although a well-established correlation between mental illness and homelessness has emerged, a better understanding of how this may be mediated by other prominent risk factors such as substance use or victimization is warranted. The current study uses data obtained from 3,673 recently booked arrestees to examine these relationships. Using structural equation modeling with measured variables, the analyses indicate the relationship between mental health and homelessness to be almost entirely mediated by alcohol use, drug use, and violent victimization. Policy implications are discussed.
ISSN:1552-387X
DOI:10.1177/0011128713511571