Suchergebnisse

Background:Homeless youth are at higher risk for trauma, school dropout, justice system involvement as well as physical and mental health issues, including substance abuse.Objective:This article focuses on experiences of microaggressions, or subtle forms of discrimination, in homeless youth by describing the development of a new scale measuring homelessness microaggressions and demonstrating the association between microaggressions, and health/well-being in a sample of homeless youth.Methods:Previously validated measures include the Child Behavioral Checklist and the Racial and Ethnic Microaggressions Scale.Findings:Demonstrated that experiencing higher levels of microaggressions was related to more externalizing and aggressive behavior and somatic symptoms in homeless youth.Conclusions:Implications for urban communities and urban social work are discussed, with suggestions offered for practitioners and future research.

The goal of the current study was to describe the experiences of discrimination based on homelessness among youth between the ages of 18 and 24 using both quantitative and qualitative data. Pilot data were collected on 85 homeless emerging adults in New York City recruited at drop-in centers and residential shelters. Quantitative results show the majority of the sample (81%) experienced at least one instance of homelessness discrimination in the past year. Over half the sample felt like others treated them as mentally inferior because of their homelessness, labeling them as crazy, irresponsible, and lazy. Additionally, nearly a third felt like they were ignored and/or treated unfairly by police officers and service providers. Qualitative data are used to supplement these results by detailing specific discriminatory experiences. Written responses about specific incidents reveal that youth feel dehumanized by friends and family as well as service providers and random people based on their homelessness. Results are discussed in the context of the unique challenges and universal developmental changes faced by this vulnerable population.

Microaggressions, or subtle forms of discrimination, are associated with poor mental and physical health as well as chronic stress and disease. The current study sought to add to the microaggressions literature by exploring the effects of socioeconomic status (SES)-based microaggressions on the mental health of urban low-income adolescents. Data were collected from 291 adolescents in New York City regarding experiences with SES-based microaggressions and their association with mental health symptoms. Multiple regression models indicated that higher levels of agreement with experiences of SES microaggressions were positively associated with higher levels of anxiety, depression, somatic symptoms, obsessive-compulsivity, and interpersonal sensitivity among Black youth. The association was not significant for White or LatinX youth. Implications for youth, families, and communities are discussed.