Homelessness can cause mental problems in kids

The typical homeless families in the country are headed by young women in their 20s, typically with two children. Nearly half those kids are under age 5.

The consequences of homelessness can be devastating and long-lasting for young children. By age 8, one in three homeless children has a mental health problem that affects their functioning, said Karen Hudson, social worker with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and a national expert on homeless children.

More than three-quarters of homeless children under age 5 have developmental delays. And nearly 40 percent exhibit emotional and behavioral problems, she said. These early problems can set the stage for problems, including homelessness, later in life. Surveys have noted that more than one-quarter of homeless adults experienced homelessness when they were young.

Children who lack stable housing face a host of challenges that stress their developing systems, including lack of sleep, hunger, fear, and increased levels of stress hormones such as cortisol, which can wreak havoc on young brains.

Sleep deprivation or disruption can make a child look and behave as though he has severe behavioral problems such as oppositional defiant disorder, said Dr. Ben Danielson, medical director of the Odessa Brown Children's Clinic of Children's Hospital and Medical Center in Seattle.

(The disorder is as a mental disorder displayed as an "ongoing pattern of disobedient, hostile and defiant behavior toward authority figures which goes beyond the bounds of normal childhood behavior.")

The symptoms that result from the stress of homelessness, can include anxiety, depression, extreme withdrawal, poor concentration or various forms of "acting out," such as tantrums.

"We see attachment disorders, big time," said Danielson.

The immense responsibility to our future and our future generation is the care and development of our children today. Jesus said, "Bring all the children to me". Much is said in scripture referring to children and their formation. We are told :

...whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

We cannot forget that inaction and ommission are sins as well. Get involved in fighting homelessness. The solutions are there. We must use them.

Visit our Education and Preparation page for an excellent training opportunity call Strategies for Change.