Abstract
The purpose of this study was to compare measures of addiction and transience among street youth in three disparate urban areas: Los Angeles, California; Austin, Texas; and St. Louis, Missouri. Street youth from Los Angeles (n = 50), Austin (n = 50) and St. Louis (n = 46) were recruited using comparable engagement strategies. Youth were interviewed concerning use of alcohol and other substances and their level of transience. Youth from each city were compared using chi-squares and multinomial logistic regression. Results reveal that youth in each city differed in ethnicity, age, educational status, length of time homeless, and substance abuse and dependence. Comparisons across youth in three cities suggest that length of homelessness and drug dependence/abuse significantly differentiate between low, moderate and high transience. Understanding the heterogeneity of this population as well as the relationship between addiction and transience has implications for providing national substance abuse responses.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 296-307 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Community Mental Health Journal |
| Volume | 46 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 2010 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- Addiction
- Homeless youth
- Street youth
- Substance abuse
- Transience
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
- Psychiatry and Mental health
- Health(social science)
Cite this
A comparison of addiction and transience among street youth : Los Angeles, California, Austin, Texas, and St. Louis, Missouri. / Ferguson-Colvin, Kristin; Jun, Jina; Bender, Kimberly; Thompson, Sanna; Pollio, David.
In: Community Mental Health Journal, Vol. 46, No. 3, 06.2010, p. 296-307.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - A comparison of addiction and transience among street youth
T2 - Los Angeles, California, Austin, Texas, and St. Louis, Missouri
AU - Ferguson-Colvin, Kristin
AU - Jun, Jina
AU - Bender, Kimberly
AU - Thompson, Sanna
AU - Pollio, David
PY - 2010/6
Y1 - 2010/6
N2 - The purpose of this study was to compare measures of addiction and transience among street youth in three disparate urban areas: Los Angeles, California; Austin, Texas; and St. Louis, Missouri. Street youth from Los Angeles (n = 50), Austin (n = 50) and St. Louis (n = 46) were recruited using comparable engagement strategies. Youth were interviewed concerning use of alcohol and other substances and their level of transience. Youth from each city were compared using chi-squares and multinomial logistic regression. Results reveal that youth in each city differed in ethnicity, age, educational status, length of time homeless, and substance abuse and dependence. Comparisons across youth in three cities suggest that length of homelessness and drug dependence/abuse significantly differentiate between low, moderate and high transience. Understanding the heterogeneity of this population as well as the relationship between addiction and transience has implications for providing national substance abuse responses.
AB - The purpose of this study was to compare measures of addiction and transience among street youth in three disparate urban areas: Los Angeles, California; Austin, Texas; and St. Louis, Missouri. Street youth from Los Angeles (n = 50), Austin (n = 50) and St. Louis (n = 46) were recruited using comparable engagement strategies. Youth were interviewed concerning use of alcohol and other substances and their level of transience. Youth from each city were compared using chi-squares and multinomial logistic regression. Results reveal that youth in each city differed in ethnicity, age, educational status, length of time homeless, and substance abuse and dependence. Comparisons across youth in three cities suggest that length of homelessness and drug dependence/abuse significantly differentiate between low, moderate and high transience. Understanding the heterogeneity of this population as well as the relationship between addiction and transience has implications for providing national substance abuse responses.
KW - Addiction
KW - Homeless youth
KW - Street youth
KW - Substance abuse
KW - Transience
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77952091218&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=77952091218&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10597-009-9264-x
DO - 10.1007/s10597-009-9264-x
M3 - Article
C2 - 19898986
AN - SCOPUS:77952091218
VL - 46
SP - 296
EP - 307
JO - Community Mental Health Journal
JF - Community Mental Health Journal
SN - 0010-3853
IS - 3
ER -