Understanding Mechanisms Driving Family Homeless Shelter Use and Child Mental Health

Area of Science:

• Community-based participatory research
• Systems science
• Public health

Background:

• Homeless shelters in the U.S. are frequently overcrowded and lack resources.
• Families with children experience significant challenges in exiting shelters promptly.
• Extended shelter stays negatively impact children's mental health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore barriers to timely and successful shelter exit for families.
• To identify feedback mechanisms influencing shelter length of stay.
• To understand the impact of shelter dynamics on child mental health risk.

Main Methods:

• Community-based system dynamics study utilizing group model building.
• Key informant interviews with shelter clients (N=37) and staff (N=6).
• Qualitative content analysis with emergent coding to identify themes and feedback loops.

Main Results:

• Overcrowding was found to delay successful shelter exit, creating a detrimental cycle.
• Longer shelter stays intensified crowding and stress, directly and indirectly harming child mental health.
• Capacity limitations restricted the number of families served, perpetuating unmet needs.

Conclusions:

• Dynamic feedback loops between overcrowding, length of stay, and child mental health contribute to persistent family vulnerability.
• Service design should prioritize reducing crowding through options like scattered-site housing and affordable childcare.
• Homelessness prevention strategies are crucial for facilitating shelter exit and mitigating child mental health risks.