By drawing from a national sample of homeless women with mental health problems, this study is positioned to not only document the mental health problems of homeless women but to assess whether or not differences in the patterns and severity of mental health problems exist based on parenting status and duration of the homelessness. Given the growing rate of homelessness among families, obtaining a better understanding of the connections between family circumstances and

mental health among homeless women is a critical issue. Methods This analysis draws from the subsample of women who participated in the At Home/Chez Soi Study (AHS). The AHS is a national demonstration project funded by the Mental Health Commission

of Canada (MHCC) that was conducted in five sites across Canada: Moncton, New Brunswick; Montreal, Quebec; Toronto, Ontario; Vancouver, British Columbia and Winnipeg, Manitoba. The 4-year randomised controlled trial, conducted during 2009–2013, was based on a Housing First model and designed to provide evidence about what service and system interventions achieve improved housing stability, health and well-being for the target population of homeless adults living with mental illness. Unlike other housing programmes, the Housing First model assists participants in community integration through the provision of independent, scattered-site housing and client-centred services without a requirement for sobriety or active treatment as a condition for participation.19 Study participants were recruited through referrals from a wide variety of agencies in the community including housing, mental health and criminal justice programmes and were randomised to either treatment as usual (no housing or support through the study) or to housing and support interventions based on their

level of need. Eligibility criteria included those with legal adult status (18 years or older in all cities but Vancouver where the age of majority is 19 years), with a mental illness, and who lacked a regular, fixed shelter or whose primary residence was a single room occupancy, rooming house or Drug_discovery hotel/motel. The baseline questionnaire focused on a broad range of domains including housing, health status, community integration, recovery, vocational attainment, quality of life, health and social services, and criminal justice system involvement. Of relevance to this analysis, questionnaire data were collected surrounding sociodemographic characteristics, symptoms of mental illness, patterns of substance use and duration of homelessness. Detailed information surrounding mental health conditions was obtained through administration of the MINI-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). The MINI is a structured diagnostic interview developed to screen for the most common psychiatric disorders.