The Depression of Homeless Children: A Focus for Nursing Intervention

Abstract

Homelessness continues to be a social problem that many children experience. The loss of a home and all that is familiar to the child may have devastating short-and long-term effects on the child's psychological well-being. Some of these ill effects can potentially be mitigated by prompt nursing intervention. In this article the findings from a descriptive study that investigated 76 homeless school-age children's level of depression as measured with the Children's Depression Inventory are reported. The relevance of these findings for pediatric nurses and nursing interventions specific to this population are discussed.