It has long been known that intense physical stress on the body typically increases C-reactive protein (CRP). But how psychosocial adversity during childhood gets under the skin to influence biological processes—as well as how that might change health outcomes later in life—remains less clear. Recent research has suggested that psychosocial stressors may produce similar inflammatory responses to physical stressors. So we decided to test whether childhood housing insecurity led to increased levels of CRP.

Our findings showed that a single experience of adolescent housing insecurity between ages 11 and 16 led to an average increase of 6.4 percent in CRP levels. Multiple experiences of housing insecurity compounded this effect. So, if an adolescent were exposed to housing insecurity today, you might expect to see a 6.4 percent increase in their CRP levels within the next few months. If they were then exposed again one year later, you might expect to find another 6.4 percent increase.

I hope this interdisciplinary approach to homelessness research encourages more cross-sector collaborations. Many people already agree that unmet social needs are detrimental to health outcomes. But this study goes further by exploring one potential biological mechanism. Such interdisciplinary research can enable cross-sector collaborations between physicians, medical-legal partnerships, and social workers to provide wraparound care for homeless populations.