Predictors of children's involvement in parents' treatment among homeless veterans in community residential care.

This study identified the proportion of homeless veterans who are parents and described characteristics of homeless veterans whose children became involved in their treatment. Of the 9,444 veterans surveyed, 37.7 percent were parents of children younger than 18 years; yet children were involved in parents' treatment in only 10.6 percent of these cases. Parents whose children were involved in their treatment were more likely to have direct custody, be female, have greater social stability, and have more psychiatric and medical problems. These parents were also less likely to have been exposed to combat fire. Services to homeless parents might be improved through coordination of adult- and child-focused funding streams and programmatic efforts to provide comprehensive interventions.

Duke Scholars

Author Robert A. Murphy Psychiatry, Child & Family Mental Health & Community Psychia ...