The Association Between Stress, Discrimination, and Hope Among Youth Experiencing Homelessness: Social Support as a Buffer

Abstract

Introduction: Homelessness is associated with a variety of stressors, including safety concerns, and uncertainty about the future as well as stigmatization, that can lead to or exacerbate pre-existing physical and mental health issues. This study explores the association between stress, hope, stigmatization, and social support among youth experiencing homelessness. Method: Quantitative, cross-sectional survey data were collected on n = 100 youth between the ages of 18 - 29 (60% identified as men, 28% as women, and 10% as transgender/gender diverse) experiencing homelessness in New York City. Result: Transgender or gender-diverse youth reported lower levels of hope and social support compared to the rest of the sample. Additionally, participants identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) reported higher levels of professional support than heterosexual-identifying participants. Further analysis revealed a correlation between longer length of homelessness and less perceived social support. Finally, the association between discrimination, stress and hope was weaker for respondents with higher levels of social support quantity and quality, respectively. Conclusion: The results suggest that social support is an essential protective factor from both street-based stress and discrimination. It is vital to facilitate adequate support to youth experiencing homelessness, especially for the gender-diverse youth who report lower levels of hopefulness.

Keywords

• homeless youth
• stress
• discrimination
• homeless-support