2015 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo

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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

317752
Social Connectedness, Self-Efficacy, and Mental Health Outcomes Among Homeless Youth: Prioritizing Approaches to Service Provision


Monday, November 2, 2015 : 8:50 a.m. - 9:10 a.m.

Stephanie Begun, PhD Candidate, MSW, Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver, Denver, CO

Samantha Brown, PhD, Stress, Early Experiences, and Development Center, University of Denver, Denver, CO
Kimberly Bender, PhD, Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver, Denver, CO
Anamika Barman-Adhikari, PhD, Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver, Denver, CO
Sanna Thompson, PhD, School of Social Work, University of Texas, Austin, TX
Kristin Ferguson, PhD, School of Social Work, City University of New York-Hunter College, New York, NY
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
Extant research has established that both social connectedness and self-efficacy are protective factors among vulnerable youth. However, research has rarely compared the relative effect of social connectedness and self-efficacy in buffering youth from negative outcomes. The current study assessed, among homeless youth, what are the relative effects of social connectedness and self-efficacy on common adverse mental health outcomes, including depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance use disorder?

Utilizing a cross-sectional, multi-city design, quantitative interviews were conducted with homeless youth ages 18-24 (N=601) seeking services in shelters, drop-in centers, and transitional housing sites in Denver (n=201), Austin (n=200), and Los Angeles (n=200). Hierarchical logistic regression analyses were employed to investigate correlates of depression, PTSD, and substance use disorder. For each of the 3 models, factors were sequentially entered in 3 steps: 1) demographics (age, gender, ethnicity, city); 2) homelessness experiences (transience, homelessness duration, primary residence); and 3) participants’ scores on social connectedness and self-efficacy measures.

Results indicated that social connectedness significantly buffered against meeting criteria for PTSD (β=-.38, OR=.69, p<.001), depression (β=-.77, OR=.46, p<.001), and substance use disorder (β=-.29, OR=.75, p<.01), whereas self-efficacy was significantly associated with only PTSD (β=-.67, OR=.51, p<.001) and depression (β=-.56, OR=.57, p<.01).

Social connectedness and self-efficacy demonstrate similar protection against adverse mental health outcomes, while social connectedness should be considered in efforts to address substance use. Future research would benefit from further testing interventions that aim to build social connectedness with pro-social peers, family, and service providers for their potentially positive effects on youth outcomes.

Learning Areas:

Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Program planning
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Compare the relative effects of social connectedness and self-efficacy in buffering homeless youth from common adverse mental health outcomes, including depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and substance use disorder.

Keyword(s): Homelessness, Mental Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a PhD Candidate, and my primary research interests include interventions with homeless youth, as well as improving sexual and reproductive health outcomes for this population.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3021.0: Homeless Youth: A Population at Risk for Substance Use (A collaborative session between ATOD and CoH)