The Role of Childhood Violence in Adult Victimization Among Women Experiencing Homelessness in Spain.

Persons experiencing homelessness represent one of the principal manifestations of the phenomenon of social exclusion, with homeless women constituting a group in a particularly vulnerable situation. The article analyzed the experience of violence in childhood and adolescence, and its implications in terms of violence experienced as an adult, in a sample of women experiencing homelessness in Madrid (Spain) (n = 138). All participants were of legal age and had spent the night before the interview in a shelter or other facility for the homeless, on the street, in public spaces or in places not suitable for sleeping. Information was gathered through a structured interview. The results show that the interviewees had experienced a high percentage of physical, psychological, and/or sexual violence, both in their childhood and adolescence and throughout their lives, with a strong correlation between the experience of violence in childhood and the experience of violence in adulthood, particularly sexual assaults, intimate partner violence, and sex work. The experience of childhood sexual abuse among women experiencing homelessness appears to have had particularly negative consequences in adulthood. Public policies, prevention programs, and care mechanisms with a gendered perspective must be implemented, aimed at reducing the number and intensity of situations of violence experienced by women and girls at risk of social exclusion or in a homeless situation.

The Effects of Traumatic Events on Mental Health Among Women Experiencing Homelessness: A Longitudinal Study.

In this longitudinal study, we aim to evaluate the prevalence and impact of interpersonal and non-interpersonal traumatic events among women experiencing homelessness in Madrid (Spain) (N = 136). The information was collected through a structured interview and standardized instruments at baseline and at a 12-month follow-up. The most prevalent events were physical assaults, intimate partner violence, and severe illnesses or accidents. Path analysis revealed that personal and non-interpersonal traumatic events had direct effects on mental health, but also had differential indirect effects. Greater efforts are needed to address the effects of various types of potentially traumatic events and to design effective trauma-informed interventions for women experiencing homelessness.

Differences in Drug Use among Persons Experiencing Homelessness According to Gender and Nationality.

The main aims of this article are to update the data related to drug and alcohol use in persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) who use shelters, and to see if there are significant differences in their drug use depending on their gender and nationality. The article presents an analysis of the interconnections between the results of drug dependence detection tools (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10), Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS)) according to gender and nationality with the intention of identifying specific needs that lead to new lines of research into better approaches to homelessness. A cross-sectional, observational and analytical method was used to analyse the experiences of persons experiencing homelessness who use various shelters in the cities of Madrid, Girona, and Guadalajara (Spain). The results show that there are no gender differences in the risks of using drugs and drug addiction, but there are differences in terms of nationality for drug addiction, with Spanish nationals showing a greater tendency to develop drug addiction. These findings have significant implications, as they highlight socio-cultural and socio-educational influence as risk factors in drug addiction behaviours.

Telomerase RNA plays a major role in the completion of the life cycle in Ustilago maydis and shares conserved domains with other Ustilaginales.

The RNA subunit of telomerase is an essential component whose primary sequence and length are poorly conserved among eukaryotic organisms. The phytopathogen Ustilago maydis is a dimorphic fungus of the order Ustilaginales. We analyzed several species of Ustilaginales to computationally identify the TElomere RNA (TER) gene ter1. To confirm the identity of the TER gene, we disrupted the gene and characterized telomerase-negative mutants. Similar to catalytic TERT mutants, ter1Δ mutants exhibit phenotypes of growth delay, telomere shortening and low replicative potential. ter1-disrupted mutants were unable to infect maize seedlings in heterozygous crosses and showed defects such as cell cycle arrest and segregation failure. We concluded that ter1, which encodes the TER subunit of the telomerase of U. maydis, have similar and perhaps more extensive functions than trt1.

Determining factors in the overall happiness and outlook for the future of women living homeless: Evidence from Madrid, Spain.

People living homeless are quite heterogeneous groups, including different subgroups with specific characteristics that vary substantially. Within this group, women living homeless are an understudied subgroup with specific necessities which in most cases have not been addressed in general studies related to the group. The present study examines determining factors that influence the levels of overall happiness and outlook for the future of women living homeless. To fulfill this objective, a survey was conducted on a group of women living homeless in the city of Madrid (Spain). The results of a structural equation modeling analysis found that having a larger and stable social support network, loneliness, and good health conditions without any problems associated with drug abuse are the main factors influencing their levels of overall happiness and their outlook for the future. The proposed model has also shown that stressful life events play an important role in the analysis, unlike economic aspects, which have a limited impact on their situation. This article provides new information and innovation in research about homelessness, in particular women living homeless, thus being important for extending and replicating its findings to an international context.

Health situation and perceived health status among women experiencing homelessness: A longitudinal study in Spain.

The paper analyses the health situation and the perceived health status of a sample of women experiencing homelessness (n = 138) in Madrid, Spain. All participants were adults, and the night before the baseline interview, they had slept on the street, at a shelter or any facility provided to care for people living homeless. The information was collected using structured interviews, repeated twice a year for a 3-year follow-up period. The findings of this study show that women experiencing homelessness presented poor health, particularly in comparison with the general Spanish population. Over half of the women questioned claimed to have a diagnosed serious or chronic illness, with a correlation between these conditions and the age, time spent homeless or high levels of drug use. There was a positive correlation found between women's perceived health status and being younger and having access to independent accommodation, while having suffered a number of stressful life events and having spent long periods of time living homeless presented a negative correlation with a good perceived health status.

Stressful life events among women living homeless in Nicaragua, a low-income country.

Nicaragua is one of the lowest income countries in Latin America, where there is a shortage of data on women living homeless. This paper analyses the types, timing and perceived causality of stressful life events (SLE) suffered both during childhood and adolescence and throughout life by women living homeless (n = 30). A structured interview was used to collect the data. Findings showed that women living homeless in Nicaragua suffered a very high number of SLEs, and that these were extremely severe and from very early ages. Most of the SLEs took place before the women became homeless. The SLEs suffered by the women interviewed in Nicaragua were largely similar to those seen in women living homeless in other cultural contexts with higher incomes, although it should be noted that those interviewed in Nicaragua had suffered a higher number of SLE during their childhood and adolescence. The women interviewed mainly attributed finding themselves homeless to having suffered SLEs in the family environment. The suffering of multiple and severe SLEs, largely leading to living in socioeconomically disadvantaged situations, seem to present a significant vulnerability factor both for becoming homeless and remaining homeless over time.

Salud mental, sucesos vitales estresantes y maltrato en mujeres de Nicaragua / Mental Health, Stressful Life Events and Abuse in Nicaraguan women

El presente artículo tuvo como objetivos analizar la ocurrencia de sucesos vitales estresantes (SVE), establecer perfiles en función de dichos sucesos mediante el análisis de grupos (clusters), conocer la relación entre los grupos obtenidos y la presencia de distrés, y analizar qué SVE parecen tener un mayor impacto en la salud mental. Participaron 136 mujeres víctimas de violencia de género que viven en contexto de extrema pobreza en Nicaragua. Los resultados mostraron la existencia de altos niveles de depresión y ansiedad, especialmente dentro del grupo que sufrió maltrato en la infancia, y que los problemas económicos, el fallecimiento de personas del entorno familiar y los intentos de suicidio parecen ser los SVE que más influencia tienen en los síntomas depresivos y ansiógenos, por encima del maltrato padecido a lo largo de sus vidas. En conclusión, conocer los SVE en contextos donde su ocurrencia es frecuente es fundamental de cara a la intervención con mujeres sobre quienes la adversidad se ha cronificado. (AU)

Access to employment and the labor market among women living homeless in Madrid, Spain.

BACKGROUND: People living homeless represent one of the most extreme embodiments of the phenomena of poverty and social exclusion, and women are a particularly vulnerable group among people living homeless. METHODS: Various factors in a sample of women living homeless in Madrid, Spain (n = 136) have been analyzed for relationships to connections to the employment and labor market. Information was collected using a structured interview. RESULTS: Results show the considerable difficulties women living homeless have in accessing the employment and labor market, despite largely having worked throughout their lives, mainly in unstable jobs, in the informal sector or in related marginal activities. In general, women living homeless tended to attribute their difficulties in accessing the labor market to personal characteristics, dispositional factors, or situational factors beyond their control. A large number of interviewees wanted to work, although few of them did so. Interviewees who reported that they were seeking employment were primarily younger women, in better health, who had been unemployed for a short time, had spent less time homeless, and were of foreign origin.

Evolution of the accommodation situation among women living homeless in Madrid, Spain: A longitudinal study.

Women constitute a particularly vulnerable subgroup of people living homeless, with their own set of circumstances and life histories that are different from men in the same situation. In this paper, we present the results of a longitudinal study on the situation, needs, characteristics, and process of change among women in a homeless situation in Madrid (Spain). This study involved 136 homeless women who were spending the night at shelters, drop-in centers, on the street, or in public spaces. Data was collected through structured interviews conducted every 6 months for a total of 3 years. Throughout that period of time approximately half of the interviewed leaves the most extreme situation of homelessness. One in four interviewees gained access to independent accommodation, although in most cases this did not mean that they were no longer in a position of residential exclusion. The logistic regression analyses performed suggested that the variables with the closest correlation to improved accommodation were: receiving stable government economic benefits, obtaining income from work, not having Spanish nationality, not having a disability and having suffered fewer stressful life events at baseline, as well as a better perceived state of health. However, with regard to access to independent accommodation, the most closely-related variables were receiving stable government economic benefits and obtaining an income from work. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Unhappiness and casual attributions of homelessness among people living homeless in León (Nicaragua).

Nicaragua is one of the countries with the lowest levels of development in Latin America, with a collectivist culture, where information on people in a homeless situation is very limited. The study examines a sample of people living homeless in the city of León (Nicaragua), their level of overall happiness, their future expectations, their perception of the evolution of their situation, their causal attributions of homelessness, and the aspects they believe are most important for overcoming their situation. Forty-one of the 68 homeless people contacted in León (Nicaragua) responded to a structured interview. The results show that the interviewees reported very low levels of overall happiness, although their future expectations were positive. The interviewees attributed homelessness situation (their own and other people's) primarily to individualistic causes and problems in family relationships, and they had a tendency to consider both themselves and other people living homeless responsible for their homelessness. The results are compared to the data obtained using similar methodologies and instruments for people living homeless in Madrid (Spain) and trash pickers in León (Nicaragua)-two groups in situations of extreme poverty and social exclusion.

Disability, health, and quality of life among homeless women: A follow-up study.

The objectives of this study were: (a) to assess the prevalence of disability among homeless women; (b) to compare homeless women with and without a disability in key variables (e.g., sociodemographic, homelessness history, physical and mental health, etc.); (c) to examine paths between disability, perceived discrimination, mental health, and quality of life. The methodology was a longitudinal study of homeless women in Madrid, who were followed for a 12-month period. There were 136 interviewees at baseline and 85 interviewees at follow-up. Prevalence of self-reported disability was 36.6% at baseline and 58.8% at follow-up. Approximately, in three out of four cases, disability existed prior to becoming homeless. Participants with a disability had been homeless for a longer time at baseline compared to participants without a disability. Moreover, they presented worse mental health, worse overall health status, and lower health-related quality of life at follow-up. Mediation analyses showed that disability at baseline had direct effects on health-related quality of life, but also indirect effects mediated by perceived discrimination and mental health. This study shows the prominent prevalence rates of disability among homeless women in comparison with the general population, and the links to discrimination and negative health outcomes. These findings have significant implications for planning community services for homeless women. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Intimate partner sexual violence and violent victimisation among women living homeless in Madrid (Spain).

The purpose of this paper is to discover the extent to which women living homeless in Madrid (Spain) have been victims of intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV), analysing the connection between stressful life events (SLE) relating to violent victimisation and having suffered sexual assault by a partner. This study took place using a sample of women living homeless in Madrid (n = 136). The results obtained show that a high percentage of the women living homeless who were questioned had been victims of IPSV. The women interviewed, who had been victims of IPSV, had suffered, to a greater extent, SLEs relating to situations of violent victimisation, both during childhood and adolescence as well as in adulthood. The episodes of violent victimisation that seem to be the most common forerunners to IPSV are incidents of sexual abuse in childhood and adolescence.

The Role of Stressful Life Events among Women Experiencing Homelessness: An Intragroup Analysis.

The aim of this study is to examine stressful life events (SLEs) among homeless women and how SLEs were related to patterns and trajectories of homelessness. Specifically, the study aimed to replicate and build upon by Muñoz et al. (2005) by using cluster and discriminant analysis in a sample of 116 homeless women. The sample was classified based on SLEs, and the relationship between the resulting subgroups and sociodemographic characteristics, homeless trajectories, physical and mental health, and social support was examined. The results suggest that the three-cluster solution was theoretically and structurally meaningful: (a) the "Shorter homelessness trajectories and best health and mental health" subgroup was characterized by low levels of SLEs, a shorter homeless trajectory, lower prevalence of physical and mental health problems, and lower rates of alcohol and substances consumption; (b) the "Early onset of homelessness and poorer health and poorer mental health" subgroup was characterized by a higher prevalence of childhood and adolescence SLEs, an early onset of homelessness and greater chronification, mental health problems, and alcohol consumption; and (c) the "Chronic homelessness and poorest health and mental health" subgroup was mainly characterized by a higher prevalence of typically adulthood SLEs, as well as some SLEs that may be unique to women, a greater number of periods of homelessness, physical health problems, disabilities, and substance misuse. Increased knowledge about the different subgroups and trajectories of homeless women, as well as their specific characteristics and needs, will help us design social services and policies sensitive to all these differences.

Health, disability, and consumption of psychoactive substances among people in a homeless situation in León (Nicaragua).

Nicaragua is one of the countries in Latin America with lowest levels of development. In Nicaragua, people in a homeless situation are one of the most socially excluded groups, and there is a lack of data regarding their characteristics, circumstances, and needs. This study examines the state of health, disability, and substance use among people living homeless (n = 68) in the city of León (Nicaragua). Sixty percent of the homeless people contacted responded to a questionnaire which was administered with the respondents by means of an interview. The findings showed that people living homeless in León had very negative states of health and disability, worse than those observed in other socially excluded groups in the same city and homeless people in more developed countries. The interviewees also presented a high level of substance abuse - mainly of alcohol and inhaled glue.

Immigrant women living homeless in Madrid (Spain).

Homeless people are one of the most obvious embodiments of the phenomenon of social exclusion, and homeless immigrants and homeless women are considered 2 particularly vulnerable groups. The objective of this article is to analyze the differences between women living homeless born in Spain (nonimmigrants) and those born abroad (immigrants). The study was carried out based on the data obtained from a sample of women living homeless in Madrid (Spain; N = 136). The information was collected using a structured interview. The results show major similarities between immigrant and nonimmigrant homeless women in terms of their basic sociodemographic characteristics (age, marital status, number of children), their state of health, satisfaction with their family and/or partner relationships, and feelings of loneliness or abandonment. Fewer immigrant women had their documentation in order, they received fewer financial benefits and their contact with their family of origin was more limited. However, the immigrant women became homeless at an older age and were subject to less chronic homelessness, their levels of consumption of alcohol and other psychoactive substances were lower, they had experienced fewer stressful life events, more of them had completed higher education, and more of them used mobile telephones and the Internet. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Impact of gender-based violence on psychological distress and happiness in León (Nicaragua).

The researchers' aim for the current study is to analyze the impact of gender-based violence on mental health and happiness. The sample is composed of 136 women victims of intimate partner violence, who were living in poverty. The participants contacted through the country's Commissariat for Women and Children and other associations working with the National Police from Nicaragua, a country with low levels of development. The results of our structural equation model show that the frequency of abuse has a direct effect on psychological distress and an indirect effect on overall happiness. The deterioration of mental health and social support have a direct effect on overall happiness. Consequently, emotional recovery and social support play an important role in the future of women victims of gender-based violence. This information can be useful to reduce psychological distress and improve care for women in specialized services.

Risk of mental ill-health among homeless women in Madrid (Spain).

Several studies have revealed that homeless people suffering from mental health problems are more vulnerable than homeless without those mental health problems. Nevertheless, there is a lack of evidence describing the real circumstances of homeless women. This paper explores the differences between homeless women at high risk of mental ill-health compared with those who do not present this risk. The sample consisted of a group of 120 homeless women in Madrid (Spain). For this study, we collected data on background information (trajectory of homelessness and stressful life events experienced) and current aspects (living conditions, physical health, and social support). The risk of mental ill-health has been measured by the short version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). The results showed that homeless women with higher risk of mental ill-health had become homeless at a younger age, had experienced more stressful life events in their lives, had a poorer physical health, felt less happy, had less social support, and a greater feeling of loneliness when compared with homeless women who did not present risk of mental ill-health. Improving knowledge about the risk of mental ill-health among homeless women is essential for the design of specific psychological interventions within this population.

Meta-stereotypes among women living homeless: Content, uniformity, and differences based on gender in Madrid, Spain.

This paper examines the content and degree of uniformity of meta-stereotypes among women living homeless in Madrid, Spain, and the differences with their male counterparts. The study was conducted utilizing a structured interview with a representative sample of men living homeless (n = 158) and a convenience sample of a similar size (n = 138) of women living homeless. The results show that the meta-stereotypes of women living homeless in Madrid are characterized by mainly negative (e.g., consumers of alcohol, drug users, lazy, criminals) or indulgent (e.g., physically and psychologically worn out, rejected by society, sick) contents, with very limited positive (e.g., courteous, respectful, polite) contents, and a high degree of uniformity. There are no major differences in the content of meta-stereotypes of the female interviewees in terms of their age, academic background, motherhood, or nationality. Compared to men in the same situation, a larger percentage of women living homeless agree with negative and indulgent meta-stereotypes, and a smaller percentage agree with positive meta-stereotypes.

Factores de riesgo asociados al consumo de sustancias en mujeres víctimas de maltrato en contexto de pobreza / Risk factors associated with substance use in female victims of abuse living in a context of poverty

El trabajo analiza la relación entre el padecimiento de sucesos vitales estresantes y el consumo excesivo de alcohol y drogas en 136 mujeres víctimas de violencia de género de Nicaragua. Los datos se btuvieron a partir de una entrevista estructurada diseñada para este fin que recoge sucesos vitales estresantes padecidos por las víctimas a lo largo de su vida. Los resultados muestran que quienes padecieron distintos episodios de violencia en la infancia consumieron alcohol y drogas en exceso. Además, el mayor predictor para el consumo de alcohol y drogas se encuentra entre quienes padecieron abuso sexual antes de los 18 años. Por otra parte, los análisis Odds Ratio indican un aumento del riesgo para el consumo de sustancias cuando el abuso se produjo a edades tempranas. Pese a la relevancia para la salud de las víctimas, existen pocos dispositivos en Nicaragua con los que atender a las víctimas de violencia de género hacia procesos de recuperación, sobre todo para quienes han desarrollado estrategias de afrontamiento relacionados con el consumo excesivo de sustancias

The work analyzes the relationship between the suffering of stressful life events and the excessive consumption of alcohol and drugs in 136 women victims of gender violence in Nicaragua. The data was obtained from a heteroapplied structured interview designed for this purpose, which collects stressful life events suffered by the victims through-out their lives. The results show that those who suffered different episodes of violence since childhood consumed alcohol and drugs in excess. In addition, the greatest predictor for alcohol and drug use is among those who suffered sexual abuse before age 18. On the other hand, the Odds Ratio analyzes indicate an increased risk for the consumption of substances when the abuse occurred at an early age. Despite the relevance for the health of the victims, there are few devices in Nicaragua with which to assist victims of gender violence towards recovery processes, especially for those who have developed coping strategies related to excessive substance use