The prevalence of behavioural problems amongst homeless primary school children in an outer London borough: A feasibility study

Objectives: estigate the prevalence of behavioural problems amongst homeless primary school-age children in an outer London borough. : sectional study of homeless primary school children and permanentlyhoused control children. g: ed primary schools in an outer London borough. ts: en from non-refugee families officially accepted as homeless by the localauthority, and housed controls from the same schools. e measure: behavioural rating scale. s: homeless children (38%, 18 of 48) than housed (88%, 50 of 57) wereborn in the UK, or spoke English at home. Only 19 (40%) of the fathers of homeless children compared with 43 (75%) of housed childrenʹs fathers lived with them. Some 49% of homeless childrenʹs scores suggested a behavioural problem, compared with 11% of controls. Altogether, 94% of homeless and 100% of housed children were registered with a general practitioner. sions: evels of behavioural problems were found in homeless children.With numbers of homeless children expected to rise in the 1990s this finding merits urgent attention.