YOUTH HOMELESSNESS: PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION EFFORTS IN PSYCHOLOGY

In this paper, I review the prevention and intervention efforts addressing youth homelessness in the field of psychology between 1994 and 2004. Analyses of the literature revealed that the majority of papers including homeless youth as a population for study have focused on issues other than homelessness. These issues include HIV/AIDS and substance abuse prevention. Eleven journal articles addressing youth homelessness were reviewed. These articles focused on outcomes, interventions, and recommendations for clinical practice. Literature findings revealed that demographic variables did not predict outcomes for homeless youth; youth returning home with their parents have more positive outcomes than youth moving into other locations, emergency shelter services improve youth’s mental health and social condi-tion, and services should be comprehensive and move beyond the individuals. Implications for commu-nity psychology, policy makers, and shelters are discussed