Homeless and Hurting: Implications for the Mental Health of Children

Abstract

Because homeless children tend to be from low-income households, they carry not only the stigma of being homeless and impoverished, but also the weight of adversity and struggle that comes from these two categories. Homeless children comprise a minority group that is becoming increasingly salient today, as homeless rates increase. Despite efforts to create equal developmental opportunities, these children are still disproportionately developmentally disadvantaged and at high risk for mental illness. Therefore, homeless children are becoming increasingly important to educators, researchers, and policy makers. This group carries a bundle of stigmas and developmental delays due to race and socioeconomic status. Therefore, the effects of homelessness and cumulative risk on preschool-aged children is a field of particular interest because it may provide insight into the mental health issues faced by homeless children. Thus, analyzing the developmental barriers to mental health and the treatment necessary to enhance homeless children’s capability to live a functional life is the focus of this paper. [From Scope of the Problem]