The Role of Transience in Service Use by Street Youth

          Principal Investigator: David Pollio, Ph.D., Co-PI

          Funder: CMHSR funded pilot (through NIMH - P30 MH068579)

          Timeframe: 04/05-07/06

          Affiliation: Center for Mental Health Services Research (CMHSR)

          Project Staff:  David Pollio, Ph.D., Co-PI

                                  Sanna Thompson, Ph.D., Co-PI, Associate Research Professor,

                                  School of Social Work, University of Texas at Austin  

          Participating Organizations: University of Texas, Austin; Youth-in-Need; Life Works

          Project Contact:   David Pollio, Ph.D., (314) 935-7516

                                        Associate Professor of Social Work and Psychiatry

                                        depollio@wustl.edu

Project Update as of 4/20/05:
Stage: Completed

 

Description: Research on homeless "street" youth documents substantial risks for mental health problems, including disproportionate rates of emotional disorders, behavioral problems, suicidality, and comorbid substance use and abuse. Evidence suggests that youth who have more substantial histories of running away and more problematic families of origin are at increases risk for negative mental health consequences. Although there have been efforts to examine population characteristics, to date only a single data source is available to examine the population nationally. Thus, one critical task in developing effective mental health responses is to develop a national picture of street youth.

Research by this team using available national data has documented significant differences between regions in prevalence along risk dimensions. While variations in prevalence may be valid indicators of regional population differences, conceptually, transience may represent a critical factor in understanding these disparities. Thus, for street youth, population prevalence and hence service needs may be driven by geographic features. The intersection of these two conclusions calls for research on street youth that is nationally representative and focuses on geographic features, particularly transience. What is feasible is a design that includes a sample of geographically dispersed sites where data on transience, service use, and risk and protective factors is collected retrospectively, using identical methods and instrumentation. Preparatory to designing and submitting this study as an R01, it is necessary to complete preliminary pilot research. 

 

Thus, the specific aims of this pilot:

Aim 1: Develop a retrospective instrument using an event-history approach to examine geographic variables in homelessness for street youth.

 

Aim 2: Complete a feasibility study and recruit a sample of 70 homeless street youth to be interviewed using a complete interview schedule, including the geographic instrument, service use, risk and protective factors, runaway history, and service involvement.

 

Progress in ACISR Year 1, 9/22/05-7/31/05: The team is actively planning implementation and awaiting Human Subjects Approval from Washington University's Internal Review Board (IRB).

Plans for ACISR Year 2, 8/01/05-7/31/06:  Development of compelling RO1 application.  This RO1 will collect information essential to understanding the street youth population, as well as assist in the development of quality service responses for this most challenging public-sector youth population.  In addition to the RO1, the pilot proposal will result in a number of potentially important publications.