Short Communication
Resilience, Loneliness, and Psychological Distress Among Homeless Youth

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Abstract

Extant quantitative research on loneliness among homeless youth has grouped loneliness with other elements of psychological distress. The current study seeks to determine if loneliness has a different relationship with resilience than does psychological distress among street youth. Using data from 47 participants, linear regression was conducted. Results indicate that homeless youth experiencing higher psychological distress reported lower resilience scores. However, levels of resilience are not significantly associated with feelings of loneliness when psychological distress was accounted for. This study has implications for how researchers and clinicians conceptualize and address feelings of loneliness among homeless youth.

Section snippets

Youth Homelessness and Resilience

A large number of studies concerning youth homelessness have focused on better understanding the myriad physical and psychological threats faced by youth living on the streets (e.g. Roy et al., 2004). Far fewer studies have examined resilience – the capacity to thrive in the face of adversity – among this group. However, in recent years, some researchers have sought to better understand the role and nature of resilience among homeless youth (e.g. Cleverley and Kidd, 2011, Kolar et al., 2012,

Participants

Participants were 47 youths (age range = 15–21 years, M = 18.2, SD = 1.7, median = 18 years). In order to be eligible to participate in the study, a youth had to (i) either have no fixed address (including: couch surfing, staying with extended family and/or friends temporarily), or (ii) have lived in a shelter for more than 24 hours. Consent from underage youth was accepted as these youth were considered to be emancipated and not in contact with parents and/or guardians. Recruitment took place at a

Results

Table 1 provides descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation coefficients for the primary dependent variable, resilience, as well as loneliness, feeling trapped, hopelessness, giving up, and helplessness. As expected, resilience was negatively correlated with each of loneliness (− .52), hopelessness (− .54), giving up (− .65), feeling trapped (− .65), and helplessness (− .44). Loneliness, feeling trapped, hopelessness, giving up, and helplessness were each positively correlated with each other.

Discussion

This study found that loneliness is not significantly associated with resilience among homeless youth when psychological distress is accounted for. Our findings are not in line with those of the only other quantitative study to look directly at the link between resilience and loneliness among homeless youth conducted by Rew et al. (2001). Using a regression model that included life threatening behaviour, connectedness, hopelessness, and loneliness, Rew et al. (2001) found that loneliness was

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