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Concurrent Mental Health and Substance Use Problems among Street-Involved Youth

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An Erratum to this article was published on 20 July 2011

Abstract

Among marginalized populations, homeless adults are known to have elevated rates of mental health and substance use problems compared to the general population, but less is known about their youthful homeless counterparts. While few studies currently exist, what research has been conducted among street-involved youth has confirmed high rates of comorbidity among this population. However, few of these studies explore predictors of concurrent mental health and substance use problems among street-involved youth and consider broader health and social implications. The aim of the current study was to expand on current knowledge of comorbidity among street-involved youth by examining prevalence and correlates of self-reported concurrent mental health and substance use problems among a sample of 150 street-involved youth in Toronto, Canada. Results of descriptive and bivariate analyses revealed that a quarter of the participants experienced concurrent mental health and substance use problems, and that more youth with concurrent problems had experienced physical child maltreatment, greater transience, street victimization and previous arrest compared to youth without concurrent problems. Logistic regression results showed that street-involved youth with concurrent problems were almost four times more likely to have been victimized in the last 12 months. These results highlight a more disadvantaged health and social profile among street-involved youth with concurrent mental health and substance use problems, and underscore the need for increased research attention on treatment accessibility and needs among this population.

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Notes

  1. The terms “homeless,” “runaway”, street” and “street-involved” youth are used somewhat interchangeably in the literature, all referring to youth who have left the family home, live without stable housing and experience multiple moves in short periods of time

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Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge other members of the Youth Pathways Project team, including Co-Investigators/Collaborators, Edward Adlaf, Jennifer Butters, Deborah Goodman, Andrew Hathaway, Bruce Leslie, Paul Links, Lori Ross, Christine Wekerle; Community Partners, Toronto Children’s Aid Society, Catholic Children’s Aid Society, SHOUT Clinic; Research Staff, Katharine King (Project Coordinator), Tara Fidler, Tyler Frederick, Eman Leung. Funding for this study was provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council: the Homelessness and Diversity Strategic Grant competition, and the Innovative Approaches to Dissemination competition for those awarded grants in the Homelessness and Diversity competition; and also by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research: Pilot Project competition of the Institute of Gender and Health. The Ministry of Health and Long Term Care of Ontario provides salary and infrastructure support for scientists at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ontario Tobacco Research Unit, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

    Maritt Kirst

  2. Department of Sociology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

    Tyler Frederick & Patricia G. Erickson

  3. Social & Epidemiological Research Department, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada

    Patricia G. Erickson

Authors
  1. Maritt Kirst
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  2. Tyler Frederick
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  3. Patricia G. Erickson
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Correspondence to Maritt Kirst.

Additional information

An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11469-011-9348-z

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Kirst, M., Frederick, T. & Erickson, P.G. Concurrent Mental Health and Substance Use Problems among Street-Involved Youth. Int J Ment Health Addiction 9, 543–553 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-011-9328-3

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