The association between crime victimization and depressive symptoms among homeless people in Korea: a gender stratified analysis

Introduction: Despite increasing numbers of homeless people, less attention has been paid to their mental health, particularly associated with crime victimization. This study sought to examine the association between crime victimization and depressive symptoms, as well as the role of social supports among homeless people in Korea. Methods: Using the 2016 National Survey on Living Conditions of Korean Homeless, we measured crime victimization by its type (physical assault, sexual violence, and robbery/theft/fraud) and depressive symptoms over the past 12 months among 1720 homeless people. Social support, as potential moderators, was defined based on whether the study participants have contacted with family, relatives, and friends, or have resided in facilities. Logistic regression was applied to examine the overall association, and for males and females separately. Results: Female homeless people, compared to male homeless people, tended to be targeted for all types of crime victimization. In the gender-stratified analysis, male victims of sexual violence and female victims of financial crime (i.e. robbery, theft, or fraud) were more likely to have depressive symptoms, after adjusting for covariates. The number of incidents of crime victimization was also associated with depressive symptoms. However, social support did not moderate the association between crime victimization and depressive symptoms for males and females. Conclusion: Crime victimization is detrimental to mental health among homeless people but social support did not moderate the association between crime victimization and mental health.