Predictors of Residential Stability among Homeless Young Adults

Background

Homelessness episodes have been shown to be associated with serious health outcomes among youth. This study was undertaken to estimate the probability of reaching residential stability over time and to identify predictors of residential stability among homeless young adults aged 18 to 25 years.

Methods

A prospective cohort study was carried out in Montréal, Canada, between April 5^th 2006 and January 21^th2009. Interviews conducted every three months included questions on life conditions and social and mental health factors that are known to influence residential trajectories. Residential status was determined, starting on the first day after recruitment; each follow-up day was classified as a homeless day or a housed day. A period of 90 days was used to define residential stability; therefore the main study outcome was the occurrence of the first consecutive 90 housed days during the follow-up period. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional-hazards regression analyses were conducted.

Results

Of the 359 participants, 284 reached 90 days of residential stability over the study period, representing an annual probability of 80.5 %. In multivariate analysis, youth who had a high school degree, had a formal sector activity, and those who had sought psychological help were more likely to reach residential stability. Being a man, injecting substances, and having an informal sector activity were associated with a decreased probability to reach residential stability.

Conclusion

Exposure to factors related to opportunities that promote social integration increases the chance of reaching residential stability. On the other hand, factors related to high level of street entrenchment seem to interfere with stabilization. Maximum efforts should be made to prevent chronic homelessness among youth, targeting not only individual impairments but also hinging on services adapted to foster social connections among the youth.

Below: Cumulative probability to reach a housed status for 90 consecutive days during follow-up

Full article at:   http://goo.gl/51Xaom

By:    Élise Roy, Marie Robert, Louise Fournier, Émélie Laverdière, Djamal Berbiche, and Jean-François Boivin

Addiction Research and Study Program, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, 150, Place Charles-Le Moyne, room 200, Longueuil, QC J4K 0A8 Canada

Département de Psychoéducation et de Psychologie, Université du Québec en Outaouais, 283, boul. Alexandre-Taché, bureau 3712, C.P. 1250, Succursale Hull, Gatineau, QC J8X 3X7 Canada

École de Santé Publique, Université Montréal, 7101 Avenue du Parc, 3ième étage, Montréal, QC H3N 1X9 Canada

Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, 150, Place Charles-Le Moyne, room 200, Longueuil, QC J4K 0A8 Canada

Charles-LeMoyne Hospital Research Centre, 150, Place Charles-Le Moyne, room 200, C.P. 11, Longueuil, QC J4K 0A8 Canada

Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3755, Côte Ste-Catherine, Montréal, QC H3T 1E2 Canada

Élise Roy, Email: ac.ekoorbrehsu@yoR.esilE.

More at:  https://twitter.com/hiv insight

And: http://twitter.com/Prison Health