Davies-Netzley S, Hurlburt M S, Hough R L
University of California, Irvine, USA.
Violence Vict. 1996 Summer;11(2):129-42.
Previous studies of childhood abuse levels among homeless women have typically focused either on single homeless women or female heads of families; almost none have focused specifically on homeless women with severe mental illness. This study explores rates of childhood physical and sexual abuse among 120 homeless women with severe mental illness. Correlates of experiencing childhood abuse are considered, including mental health outcomes and when women first become homeless. The prevalence of childhood abuse in this sample of women was substantially higher than among homeless women in general. The experience of childhood abuse was related to increased suicidality, and resulted in symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder for some women. Women who had suffered abuse were also much more likely to become homeless during childhood and it is suggested that this is an important precursor to homelessness for many homeless women with chronic and severe mental illness.
以往关于无家可归女性童年受虐程度的研究通常要么聚焦于单身无家可归女性，要么聚焦于家庭中的女性户主；几乎没有研究专门关注患有严重精神疾病的无家可归女性。本研究探讨了120名患有严重精神疾病的无家可归女性童年期遭受身体虐待和性虐待的比率。研究考虑了童年受虐经历的相关因素，包括心理健康状况以及女性首次无家可归的时间。该样本中女性童年受虐的发生率显著高于一般无家可归女性。童年受虐经历与自杀倾向增加有关，并且导致一些女性出现创伤后应激障碍症状。曾遭受虐待的女性在童年时期也更有可能无家可归，研究表明，对于许多患有慢性严重精神疾病的无家可归女性来说，这是无家可归的一个重要先兆。
