Adolescent Use of Two Types of HIV Prevention Agencies

Abstract

This study compared two groups of adolescents seeking help at HIV prevention drop-in agencies. The first group attended agencies in low-income Hispanic neighborhoods which recruited within the locale. The second group of youth attended agencies that recruited based upon a specific population-they targeted homeless and LGBQ youth. We explored the characteristics of adolescents who sought initial services, the types of services requested, and attitudes toward the centers. Results indicated that those who utilized the population-based agencies were more likely to be homeless, have higher depression scores, and be older. They reported coming to the agency to find a safe place, whereas those who utilized the neighborhood-based agencies came specifically for concrete services. Implications are discussed.

Facilitators and Barriers of Drop-In Center Use Among Homeless Youth

“…Being warm, open, non-judgmental, and caring [29, 47, 48, 52, 53], and able to relate to the youth’s presenting issues [29, 52], can encourage youth to use drop-in centers. In contrast, staff who are perceived as judgmental [47], act disrespectful toward the youth, or have rigid or unrealistic expectations of the youth [29], may discourage service utilization.…”

“…Indeed, youth who use drop-in centers report barriers to seeking other kinds of services outside of the drop-in center such as delays in service, difficulty finding transportation, perceived lack of respect by health care workers, and high costs [42]. In a study that surveyed 189 at-risk youth seeking drop-in center services for the first time (about 44% were homeless; others had a place to stay), confidentiality, low/no cost, location in a safe area, comfortable setting, and clean facilities were reported among the most important aspects of the centers by at least half of those surveyed [53]. The most commonly endorsed reasons for attending drop-in services by the homeless youth were that it provided a safe place to be (45.7% endorsed this reason), offered recreational opportunities (39.2%), and linkages to other services (11.3%) [25].…”

Child abuse, mental health and sleeping arrangements among homeless youth: Links to physical and sexual street victimization

“…Additionally, we find that depressive symptoms are positively correlated with staying at a youth shelter on the previous night. Among homeless youth, there is some evidence that depressive symptoms are linked to youth shelter and drop-in center usage (Hohman et al, 2008), so it may be that mental health concerns drive youth to seek out shelter services. Other research also underscores some homeless youths’ dissatisfaction with youth shelters’ strict enforcement of guidelines and regulations (Karabanow, Hughes, Tichnor, & Kidd, 2010; Thompson, McManus, Lantry, Windsor, & Flynn, 2006), which can also shape mental health challenges.…”

Utilization and Perceptions of Drop-in Center Services Among Youth Experiencing Homelessness

“…Items were created based on prior survey work with youth experiencing homelessness regarding their perceptions of agencies and programs available for them. 15,28 Each statement was rated on a 4-point scale (1= "Disagree strongly", 2="Disagree a little", 3="Agree a little", and 4="Agree strongly"). Scale measure scores were calculated by taking the average of the scores for all statements within a scale.…”

“…14 Perhaps due to their experiences of rejection and discrimination, sexual minority youth report more behavioral health problems (e.g., mental health symptoms, substance use, sexual risk behavior) than straight youth experiencing homelessness. 4,[15][16][17] At the same time, sexual minority youth experiencing homelessness may face discrimination when seeking needed services, and programs specifically designed for this population are often lacking. 13,18 One study of youth experiencing homelessness found that differences by sexual orientation in the use of various services were generally non-significant after controlling for other factors, such as family physical/sexual abuse and whether or not youth had ever lived in a group home.…”