RESEARCH TOPICS

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Numerous studies have paid attention to street youths' mental health issues and the services that will assist street youth overcome or deal with such problems. A recent study by Berdahl et. al, conveys the oft-mentioned notion that street youth are not homogenous and that services, and in particular, mental health services, must take youths' varying characteristics and needs into account.¹ Another study also addresses these concepts wherein the authors state that age and gender factors are critical issues for service delivery. For instance, the authors recommend that for service providers working with males who have experienced physical abuse and assault and who are more likely to have conduct-related problems, interventions should focus on limit setting and impulse control.²

Several research studies have suggested that social workers and service providers working with street youth should provide support services which are grounded in a relationship of mutual respect. In the case of mental health issues, such as stressors and corresponding coping strategies, this mode of service delivery is critical.³ In a similar vein, the authors of the article entitled, "Engaging with a Mental Health Service: Perspectives of At-Risk Youth," comment that the street youth must be central to the process and that the service must adopt a flexible approach that listens, understands and modulates to the needs of each youth.⁴

Some of the research in this area underlines the importance of the staff employed to provide mental health services to street youth. In the study by Cauce et. al, intensive training regarding a wide array of therapeutic approaches is recommended. In another "staff-related" article, clinical and consumer staff members describe their experiences employing formerly homeless persons with mental disorders and/or substance abuse disorders on a federally funded homeless outreach team. The authors conclude that "[p]ersons with mental disorders can bring to the workplace a unique insight into these disorders. They can also offer agency clients strategies for coping with mental disorders. Collaboration between consumer and non-consumer staff members holds exciting promise for comprehensive client care. These two groups can share the challenge of treating serious mental disorders, the hope for recovery, and of integrating consumers into employment settings within the field of mental health."⁵

In recent years some work has emerged that has suggested the effectiveness of specific interventions for homeless youth. One study, that examined a cognitive behavioral approach that addressed the systemic challenges faced by youth called the Community Reinforcement Approach (CRA), demonstrated better outcomes that treatment as usual across a number of mental health indicators⁶. Another study has indicated that effective interventions for trauma are an essential component of mental health counseling with this population⁷.

_{¹T. A. Berdahl, et. al, "Predictors of First Mental Health Service Utilization among Homeless and Runaway Adolescents," Journal of Adolescent Health, Vol. 37, No. 2, pp. 145-154, August 2005.
²A.M. Cauce, et. al, "The Characteristics and Mental Health of Homeless Adolescents: Age and Gender Differences," Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 230-239, Winter 2000.
³J. Chun, "Stress and Coping Strategies in Runaway Youths: An Application of Concept Mapping," Dissertation Abstract International, A: The Humanities and Social Sciences,Vol. 65, No. 8, pp. 3155-3156, February 2005.
⁴R. French, et. al, "Engaging with a Mental Health Service: Perspectives of At-Risk Youth," Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, Vol. 20, No. 6, pp. 529-548, December 2003.
⁵D. Fisk, et. al, "Integrating consumer staff members into a homeless outreach project: Critical issues and strategies," Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, Vol. 23(3), pp. 244-252, Winter 2000
⁶N. Slesnick, et al., “Treatment outcome for street living homeless youth,” Addictive Behaviors, Vol. 32, pp.1237-1251, 2007.
⁷H. McManus et al., "Trauma among unaccompanied homeless youth: The integration of street culture into a model of intervention," Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, and Trauma, 16, pp.92-109, 2008.}