The Relationship of Trauma History, Substance Misuse, and Religious Coping to Trauma Symptoms among Homeless Men in Residential Treatment: A Preliminary Study

Homelessness is a global health and well-being crisis that impacts millions of people annually. Individuals without housing experience higher rates of alcohol and drug use problems than the general community. They also report more trauma exposure and are at increased risk for trauma-related symptoms. Faith-based organizations are among the institutions that provide treatment and recovery programs for homeless persons with substance use problems. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship of trauma history, substance use problems, and religious coping methods to trauma symptoms in a sample of homeless men in a faith-based residential treatment program. An ethnically diverse sample of 98 men participated; their mean age was 42.5 years. Measures included a brief trauma history screener, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-20), the Brief Religious Coping Scale (Brief RCOPE), and the Trauma Symptom Inventory (TSI). As predicted, trauma history, AUDIT scores, DAST-20 scores, and negative religious coping were positively associated with trauma symptoms. Racial identity also accounted for significant variance in TSI scores, especially regarding trauma-related anxious and depressive symptoms. Positive religious coping appeared essentially unrelated to trauma symptoms. These findings support the utility of the instruments used for assessment with homeless persons in residential treatment programs for substance abuse.