Housing intervention impacts on parenting stress and child problem behaviors among mothers experiencing homelessness

Parenting stress plays a central role in influencing both parents' and children's well-being among mothers experiencing homelessness who have young children in their care. However, limited research has examined the efficacy of housing interventions in reducing parenting stress and promoting children's behavioral outcomes. Using a randomized longitudinal experimental design, we examined the effects of an integrative housing intervention, ecologically based treatment (EBT), on the longitudinal change of parenting stress among a sample of young mothers experiencing homelessness with substance use disorders. We further examined whether parenting stress served as a mediator to transmit the effects of the intervention to children's problem behaviors. An intent-to-treat sample of 240 mothers was randomized to one of the three conditions: EBT (n = 80), housing-only (n = 80), or services as usual (n = 80). Follow-up assessments were completed at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months postbaseline. Results showed that mothers receiving EBT reported a faster decline in parenting stress within the 6-month treatment period compared to those receiving housing-only. Further, decreased parenting stress within the 6-month treatment period mediated the association between the treatment condition (e.g., EBT vs. housing-only) and decreased children's problem behaviors over 12 months. Findings support the efficacy of EBT in reducing parenting stress among young mothers experiencing homelessness and, importantly, elucidate the longitudinal mechanism of change connecting EBT, parenting stress, and children's problem behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).