TY - JOUR
T1 - Self-Identification of Mental Health Problems Among Young Adults Experiencing Homelessness
AU - Narendorf, Sarah C.
AU - Arora, Anil
AU - Santa Maria, Diane
AU - Bender, Kimberly
AU - Shelton, Jama
AU - Hsu, Hsun Ta
AU - Ferguson, Kristin
AU - Barman-Adhikari, Anamika
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was funded by a grant from the Greater Houston Community Foundation, Funders Together to End Homelessness. The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Funding Information:
The study was supported by Greater Houston Community Foundation
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
PY - 2023/7
Y1 - 2023/7
N2 - Young adults experiencing homelessness (YAEH) have high rates of mental health problems but low rates of mental health service use. This study examined identification of mental health problems among YAEH in seven U.S. cities and its relationship to service use. YAEH that screened positive for depression, psychological distress, or Post Traumatic Stress (n = 892) were asked whether they felt they had a mental health problem. One-third identified as having a mental health problem (35%), with 22% endorsing not sure. Multinomial logistic regression models found that older age, cisgender female or gender-expansive (compared to cisgender male), and LGBQ sexual orientation, were positively associated with self-identification and Hispanic race/ethnicity (compared to White) was negatively associated. Self-identification of a mental health problem was positively associated with use of therapy, medications, and reporting unmet needs. Interventions should target understanding mental health, through psychoeducation that reduces stigma, or should reframe conversations around wellness, reducing the need to self-identify.
AB - Young adults experiencing homelessness (YAEH) have high rates of mental health problems but low rates of mental health service use. This study examined identification of mental health problems among YAEH in seven U.S. cities and its relationship to service use. YAEH that screened positive for depression, psychological distress, or Post Traumatic Stress (n = 892) were asked whether they felt they had a mental health problem. One-third identified as having a mental health problem (35%), with 22% endorsing not sure. Multinomial logistic regression models found that older age, cisgender female or gender-expansive (compared to cisgender male), and LGBQ sexual orientation, were positively associated with self-identification and Hispanic race/ethnicity (compared to White) was negatively associated. Self-identification of a mental health problem was positively associated with use of therapy, medications, and reporting unmet needs. Interventions should target understanding mental health, through psychoeducation that reduces stigma, or should reframe conversations around wellness, reducing the need to self-identify.
KW - Mental Health
KW - Psychoeducation
KW - Young Adult Homelessness
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U2 - 10.1007/s10597-022-01068-9
DO - 10.1007/s10597-022-01068-9
M3 - Article
C2 - 36681751
AN - SCOPUS:85146685294
SN - 0010-3853
VL - 59
SP - 844
EP - 854
JO - Community Mental Health Journal
JF - Community Mental Health Journal
IS - 5
ER -