The Relationship Between Housing Status and Behavioral Health Outcomes Among Youth Experiencing Homelessness With a Foster Care History

Objective: Stable housing is vital for improving behavioral health outcomes among youth experiencing homelessness (YEH). However, few studies have focused on YEH with foster care history and the relationship between housing status and behavioral health. This study examined whether housing status (i.e., literally homeless vs. unstably housed) was significantly associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive episode, and substance use disorder (SUD). Literal homelessness was defined as living on the street or in a temporary shelter; unstably housed referred to living with parents, family, or foster parents but seeking services at a YEH drop-in center. Method: Data were from YEH ages 14-23 at YEH-serving agencies in three U.S. cities (N = 175): Los Angeles, CA; Denver, CO; and Austin, TX. We used propensity score weighting to balance the two comparison groups (i.e., literally homeless vs. unstably housed). Results: YEH who were unstably housed were significantly less likely than those who were literally homeless to meet the criteria for PTSD but were more likely to meet SUD criteria. Conclusions: Increased attention should be paid to the behavioral health outcomes of YEH with a foster care history. Social workers should strengthen outreach efforts to provide them with behavioral health services and housing options that are integrated with social support-building and trauma-informed approaches.