Predictors of Hopelessness among Youth Living in Slums of Bengaluru City

Background: Hopelessness is more than just a feeling. It is a mental state in which one finds life empty and the future to be meaningless. It can derail one's life altogether. Youth, including those living in slums, have the potential to rise and win over their challenges. However, the feeling of hopelessness can be a significant barrier to break. Objectives: To determine whether there are any differences between demographic and socio-economic variables (independent variable) on more than one continuous dependent variable: resilience and hopelessness score (one-way MANOVA) and to identify the significant predictors of hopelessness among youth living in two slums in Bengaluru city. Methodology: A total of 285 youth living in two slums in Bengaluru city were chosen using simple random sampling. The Beck Hopelessness Scale was used to measure hopelessness among the respondents. Step-wise multiple regression analysis was used to identify the significant predictors of hopelessness among the respondents. Moreover, the unstandardised and standardised regression path analysis was done. Results: The results indicate that lack of education is the biggest significant predictor of hopelessness among the youth living in slums, having about 32 per cent influence (cause) on feelings of hopelessness. Conclusion: The lack of education seems to be a major reason for hopelessness among youth living in slums in the present study. Keywords: Youth, hopelessness, mental health, slum