Relationship among Housing Quality, Food Insecurity, Social Service Needs, Domestic Violence, and Mental Health Needs of Children and Families

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Ten Haagen, Kristina
- Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience

Abstract

This study examined the predictive quality of housing problems, food insecurity, social service needs and various demographic co-variates in determining the presence or absence of domestic violence problems and mental health needs. The study utilized secondary data for a group of participants including 308female parent/guardians recruited over a 12-month period from the Children's Hospital Primary Care Center (CHPCC) at Children's Hospital Boston. Families attending the health center that completed the survey were primarily from low-income and predominantly Hispanic and African American. A series of logistic regression models found a marginally significant effect for the relationship between housing problems and domestic violence problems, and a significant effect for the relationship between social service need and domestic violence problems. No relationship was found between all predictor variables and reports of mental health need. Implications for research and practice are considered.

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