Factors associated with trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder among homeless youth in three U.S. cities: The importance of transience

Abstract

Homeless youth experience disproportionately high rates of trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study examined correlates of trauma and PTSD among homeless youth with a focus on the impact of homeless culture, substance addiction, and mental health challenges. Homeless youth (N = 146) from Los Angeles, California, Denver, Colorado, and St. Louis, Missouri, were recruited from organizations providing services to homeless youth using comparable methods. Results indicate that 57% of respondents had experienced a traumatic event and 24% met criteria for PTSD. A multinomial logistic regression model revealed greater transience, alcohol addiction, mania, and lower self-efficacy predicted PTSD whereas trauma exposure was associated with alcohol addiction only. Findings have implications for screening and intervening with traumatized homeless youth across service settings.

Experiences and needs of homeless youth with a history of foster care

“…Third, youth with greater transience reported being homeless longer, suggesting the instability associated with frequent moves may disrupt finding permanent housing (Ferguson, Bender, & Thompson, 2013). This finding aligns with previous research that demonstrates transience is associated with other negative outcomes such as trauma, PTSD, and substance use among homeless youth (Bender, Ferguson, Thompson, Komlo, & Pollio, 2010;Ferguson et al, 2010), and suggests that services that anchor youth into a stable geographic location may aid in increasing housing stability.…”

Discriminatory experiences associated with posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms among transgender adults.

“…This difference is consistent with U.S. general population data showing approximately two-fold increased risk for PTSD in females than males (e.g., Tolin & Foa, 2006); however, conflation of sex and gender in much epidemiologic research (Krieger, 2003) makes the sex- and gender-linked pathways shaping differences in psychiatric conditions difficult to interpret (Tolin & Foa, 2006). Unstable housing was associated with elevated PTSD symptoms, supporting low socioeconomic status as a risk factor (Bender, Ferguson, Thompson, Komlo, & Pollio, 2010). Additionally, childhood abuse, intimate partner violence, depression, and polydrug use statistically predicted PTSD symptoms in this sample, supporting known PTSD-specific psychosocial risk factors in the U.S. general population for transgender people (Balan et al, 2013; O’Donnell, Creamer, & Pattison, 2014; Ullman, Relyea, Peter-Hagene, & Vasquez, 2013).…”

Predictors of multiple arrests among homeless young adults: Gender differences

“…Stressors experienced while homeless, such as hunger, exposure to criminal influences and violence have been shown to increase the likelihood of participating in violent activities (Baron, Forde, & Kennedy, 2007). Although the association between physical abuse and criminal behavior has been established (Baron, 2003), limited research has investigated how the strain of victimization leads to criminal behavior among homeless young adults (Bender, Ferguson, Thompson, Komlo, & Pollio, 2010).…”