Victimization and Mental Health Symptoms Among Recently Incarcerated Women: The Roles of Homelessness Prior to Incarceration and Community-Based Social Support

Objective: Guided by the stress process model, this study empirically tested associations between victimization in adulthood and mental health symptoms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder for recently incarcerated women. We examined associations between victimization and mental health via experiences with preprison homelessness and tested the protective role of community-based social support in the association between homelessness and mental health symptoms. Method: Based on cross-sectional survey data from women who recently entered prison ((Formula presented.)), we conducted structural equation modeling to test the associations between intimate partner violence (IPV), victimization from others, and mental health symptoms, including tests for indirect associations via homelessness and community-based social support as a moderator between homelessness and mental health symptoms. Results: Results indicated significant associations between victimization experiences and mental health symptoms. Although homelessness partially explained the association between IPV and mental health symptoms, homelessness fully mediated the associations between victimization by a nonintimate partner and mental health symptoms. Community-based social support was a significant protective factor in both models. Conclusion: Homelessness is associated with mental health symptoms for incarcerated women. To improve women’s well-being, social work prevention and intervention efforts are needed to address the interconnections among victimization, homelessness, social support, and mental health.