Childhood Experiences and Psychological Distress Among Homeless Women with Children

Abstract

This study examined the correlation between childhood experiences and current psychological distress among a sample of homeless mothers with dependent children in a transitional living program. The independent variables in this study included the Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale (ACES) and the Benevolent Childhood Experiences Scale (BCES) and the dependent variable was the Kessler Six-Item Psychological Distress Scale (K-6).

Using Pearson’s Product Moment Coefficient, we found a statistically significant correlation between ACES and K-6 scores and a statistically significant negative correlation between BCES and K-6. Item analysis on the K-6 examining specific correlations yielded interesting results with implications for training clinicians and crafting maximized transitional housing programs for homeless mothers with dependent aged children.