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. 2013 Dec;103 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):S282-8.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301302. Epub 2013 Oct 22.

Substance-use disorders and poverty as prospective predictors of first-time homelessness in the United States

Ronald G Thompson Jr  1 , Melanie M Wall, Eliana Greenstein, Bridget F Grant, Deborah S Hasin
Affiliations

Substance-use disorders and poverty as prospective predictors of first-time homelessness in the United States

Ronald G Thompson Jr et al. Am J Public Health. 2013 Dec.

Abstract

Objectives: We examined whether substance-use disorders and poverty predicted first-time homelessness over 3 years.

Methods: We analyzed longitudinal data from waves 1 (2001-2002) and 2 (2004-2005) of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions to determine the main and interactive effects of wave 1 substance use disorders and poverty on first-time homelessness by wave 2, among those who were never homeless at wave 1 (n = 30,558). First-time homelessness was defined as having no regular place to live or having to live with others for 1 month or more as a result of having no place of one's own since wave 1.

Results: Alcohol-use disorders (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.34), drug-use disorders (AOR = 2.51), and poverty (AOR = 1.34) independently increased prospective risk for first-time homelessness, after adjustment for ecological variables. Substance-use disorders and poverty interacted to differentially influence risk for first-time homelessness (P < .05), before, but not after, adjustment for controls.

Conclusions: This study reinforces the importance of both substance-use disorders and poverty in the risk for first-time homelessness, and can serve as a benchmark for future studies. Substance abuse treatment should address financial status and risk of future homelessness.

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References

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