The Mental Health of Homeless School-Age Children

PROBLEM: The mental health of homeless school-age children. METHODS: A convenience sample of 46 homeless children between the ages of 8 and 12 years completed the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and each child's mother completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). FINDINGS: Fifty-seven percent of the children had depressive symptoms and 26% needed additional evaluation for mental health problems. Overall, the CDI and CBCL scores indicated that gender or ethnicity are not related to the children's mental health. CONCLUSIONS: The mental health of homeless schoolage children should be assessed, as they may be at risk for mental health problems.