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. 2022 Sep;50(8):3746-3759.
doi: 10.1002/jcop.22869. Epub 2022 Apr 23.

Rates and correlates of well-being among youth experiencing homelessness

Kelci Straka  1 , Alexis R Blacketer  1 , Ramona L Martinez  1   2 , Angela Glover  3 , Dominika A Winiarski  3 , Niranjan S Karnik  3 , Stephen M Schueller  1   4 , Alyson K Zalta  1   3
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Rates and correlates of well-being among youth experiencing homelessness

Kelci Straka et al. J Community Psychol. 2022 Sep.

Abstract

Mental health concerns have been well studied among youth experiencing homelessness, yet few studies have explored factors that contribute to well-being in this population. The current cross-sectional study examined rates and correlates of well-being among youth experiencing homelessness. This is a descriptive, secondary analysis of the baseline data from a clinical intervention study. Ninety-nine youth (aged 16-25) who were experiencing homelessness were recruited in Chicago. Approximately 40% of the sample reported average or above average well-being relative to existing benchmarks. Having medical insurance, a mobile phone, and a history of more severe childhood trauma were unique cross-sectional predictors of worse well-being (all ps < 0.034). A significant portion of our sample experienced well-being. Having access to certain resources may be counterintuitive indicators of poorer well-being among youth experiencing homelessness, perhaps because they are indicators of greater need or increased social comparison among these youth.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03776422.

Keywords: child abuse; homeless; resilience; subjective well-being; young adult; youth.

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Figure 1.
Rates of Satisfaction with Life
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