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Scarcity and cognitive ability: the role of support services among people at-risk of or experiencing homelessness

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This study investigates the role of support services, in particular, emergency relief, and how it may lessen the cognitive burden among people experiencing (financial) scarcity and at-risk of or experiencing homelessness (n = 1070). The results indicate that cognitive ability does not depend on whether one is homeless, holding other things constant. The results also indicate that the measures of scarcity’s associations with cognitive ability are heterogeneous. In addition, having asked friends or family for financial help is positively associated with cognitive ability; while not being able to pay one’s utility bills on time is negatively associated with cognitive ability, statistically significant at the 10% level. Furthermore, the association between having had to go without food when one is hungry and emergency relief depends on both the key scarcity measure and its interaction term, statistically significant at the 10% and 5% level, respectively.

Source: Psychology Health & Medicine

DOI: 10.1080/13548506.2025.2569100

Author: Christopher L. Ambrey

Institution: Griffith University

Language: English

Topic: Homelessness and Social Issues

Subfield: General Health Professions

Field: Health Professions

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: No poverty, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: Australian Government, Department of Social Services, Australian Government, Australian Research Council