NCJ Number
169036
Journal
Substance Use & Misuse Volume: 32 Issue: 7 & 8 Dated: special issue (June 1997) Pages: 969-986
Date Published
1997
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This study used systematic sampling methods to recruit a sample of 432 homeless youth from both service and natural "hang out" sampling sites in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles.
Abstract
Youth were eligible to participate in the study if they were between 13 and 23 years of age and were homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness. Between July 1994 and September 1995, 601 individuals were asked to complete a screening interview, and the final sample consisted of 432 subjects, 74 percent of the youth approached. All study participants were administered a self- report survey instrument developed to assess alcohol and other drug use, mental health, physical health, homelessness history, subsistence patterns, family and social history, residential status, HIV risk behaviors, criminal history, and victimization among runaway and homeless youth. Most participants were classified as having an alcohol and/or an illicit drug abuse disorder. Results of multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated cumulative length of time homeless was positively associated with risk for a substance abuse disorder. Age and gender were not significantly associated with risk of having an alcohol or a substance abuse disorder. Although risk for reporting an alcohol or a substance abuse disorder was not positively related to age at which a young person first left home, the cumulative length of time a young person spent without a consistent place to live was positively associated with risk for a diagnosis with either disorder. Implications of the findings and recommendations for service interventions are discussed. 18 references, 3 tables, and 1 figure