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

• 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
• ISSN: 0044-118X; 1552-8499
• DOI: 10.1177/0044118X16650459

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.