Childhood abuse linked to mental illness among chronically homeless

Harvard Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health & Society Scholar Adam Lippert, PhD, is lead author on a study published in Sociological Inquiry that finds that the chronically homeless –  a population much more likely to suffer from mental illness – are also more likely to have experienced early childhood abuse, a risk factor frequently overlooked during clinical intake, which typically focuses more on current risks, such as chronic illness, nighttime sleeping arrangements, and access to services.