Adaptation to homelessness: self-actualization, loneliness, and depression in street homeless men.

Adaptation to homelessness was investigated in a sample of 145 street homeless men using loneliness and depression scales and the construct of self-actualization. Principal components analysis with varimax rotation of a matrix of correlations of measures on the history of being homeless, demographic data, scores on loneliness and depression scales, and self-actualization measures gave a 3-factor model of adjustment: adaptive striving, detachment, and adaptive resources. Maslow's and Sullivan's contention that satisfying interpersonal relationships are common pathways to mental health was affirmed.