Gender Differences in Self-Reported Reasons for Homelessness |
| |
| Authors: | Richard Tessler Robert Rosenheck Gail Gamache |
| |
| Affiliation: | 1. Social and Demographic Research Institute, and Department of Sociology, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts.tessler@sadri.umass.edu;3. Northeast Program Evaluation Center, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut.;4. Departments of Psychiatry and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, West Haven, Connecticut.;5. Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Northampton, Massachusetts. |
| |
| Abstract: | The purpose of this paper is to illustrate some of the ways in which the perceived pathways into homelessness are socially structured. We do this by examining the relative frequency of 11 different reasons homeless males and females cite for being homeless. Males were more likely to cite the following as their main reasons for homelessness: loss of a job, discharge from an institution, mental health problems, and alcohol or drug problems. Women were more likely to cite the following as their main reason for homelessness: eviction, interpersonal conflict, and someone no longer able or willing to help. Self-reported reasons for being homeless are also related to age, marital status, race, and being a veteran. As expected, they are also linked to receptiveness to treatment. Gender differences in reasons for homelessness may require different approaches to building helping relationships with homeless men and women. |
| |
| Keywords: | Homelessness Gender Mental Illness |
|
|
