Couch-surfing and mental health outcomes among sexual minority adolescents

ABSTRACT

Background: Sexual minority youth are at more than twice the risk of experiencing homelessness than their peers and both sexual minority youth and youth experiencing homelessness have disproportionate risk for mental health disorder symptoms. Couch-surfing is a common form of homelessness experienced by youth, but research on the relationship between couch-surfing and mental health outcomes, especially among sexual minority adolescents (SMA), is limited. Methods: Utilizing a sample of 2,558 SMA (14–17 years old) recruited via social media and respondent-driven sampling, this study explores the relationship between different forms of homelessness (exclusive couch-surfing vs. multiple types of homelessness) and symptoms of depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempt. Results: Nearly 21% of participants experienced any homelessness in their lifetime, with 14% reporting exclusive couch-surfing. All forms of homelessness were associated with large increases in symptoms of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation and suicide attempt. Conclusion: Homelessness – primarily couch-surfing – is a common experience for SMA in this sample. All forms of homelessness – including exclusive couch-surfing – were associated with large increases in depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempt, emphasizing the importance of services that are available to couch-surfing young people and responsive to the needs of sexual minority adolescents.

KEYWORDS:

• Homelessness
• couch-surfing
• sexual minority adolescents
• mental health
• suicidality

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The age groups included in specific research studies cited here vary, but in general we define adolescents as those ages 12–17 and use ‘youth’ to be inclusive of studies with populations up to age 24, many of which have respondent populations that span both adolescence and young adulthood (typically defined as 18–24 years of age).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities: [Grant Number 5R01MD012252].

Notes on contributors

Harmony Rhoades

Harmony Rhoades is a Research Associate Professor at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work.

Laura Petry

Laura Petry is a Doctoral Candidate at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work.

Sheree M. Schrager

Sheree Schrager is the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research at California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Jeremy T. Goldbach

Jeremy T. Goldbach is the Masters & Johnson Distinguished Professor in Sexual Health and Education in the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.