Social Connectedness, Self-Efficacy, and Mental Health Outcomes Among Homeless Youth

Homeless youth frequently meet diagnosis criteria for depressive and/or substance use disorder(s). Although prior research has established that both social connectedness and self-efficacy buffer vulnerable youth’s adverse health outcomes, few studies have compared the potential of these protective f...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Youth & society 2018-10, Vol.50 (7), p.989-1014
Main Authors: Begun, Stephanie, Bender, Kimberly A, Brown, Samantha M, Barman-Adhikari Anamika, Ferguson, Kristin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Citizen participation
Comorbidity
Connectedness
Depressive personality disorders
Drug use
Health planning
Health problems
Health status
Homeless people
Medical diagnosis
Mental depression
Mental health
Mental health services
Protective factors
Runaways
Self-efficacy
Substance abuse
Substance use disorder
Treatment outcomes
Vulnerability
Well being
Youth
Youth services
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Summary:Homeless youth frequently meet diagnosis criteria for depressive and/or substance use disorder(s). Although prior research has established that both social connectedness and self-efficacy buffer vulnerable youth’s adverse health outcomes, few studies have compared the potential of these protective factors on homeless youth’s mental well-being. The current study analyzes comparative effects of social connectedness and self-efficacy on meeting criteria for major depressive disorder, substance use disorder, and the co-occurrence of both disorders among a sample of 601 service-seeking homeless youth in Austin, Denver, and Los Angeles. Hierarchical logistic regressions indicate that while both social connectedness and self-efficacy constructs are valuable protective factors, social connectedness may offer greater utility, particularly in buffering against more complex mental health outcomes, such as the co-occurrence of depressive and substance use disorders. Accordingly, resource-strapped homeless youth service providers and researchers may benefit from tailoring mental health intervention strategies to further emphasize social connectedness in future efforts.
ISSN:0044-118X
1552-8499
DOI:10.1177/0044118X16650459