Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 10, 2025
11:29
Measuring the Functional Abilities of Children Aged 3-6 Years Old with Observational Methods and Computer Tools
Published on: June 20, 2020
9.3K
Patterns of Service Needs and Use by Subgroups of Youth Experiencing Homelessness
Natasha Slesnick1, Brittany Brakenhoff1, Alicia Bunger2
1College of Education and Human Ecology, Department of Human Sciences, The Ohio State University, 1787 Neil Ave, Columbus, OH 43210.
Journal of Social Distress and the Homeless
|August 26, 2025
Summary
Youth experiencing homelessness (YEH) have high service needs, especially for housing, but utilize services at low rates. This highlights a critical gap in accessing essential support for this vulnerable population.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Social Sciences
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Service utilization is linked to improved outcomes for youth experiencing homelessness (YEH).
- However, YEH often face barriers to accessing necessary services, leading to low utilization rates.
- The COVID-19 pandemic may have further impacted service access and needs for YEH.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the specific service needs of YEH.
- To examine patterns of service utilization among YEH.
- To understand how needs and utilization changed during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Main Methods:
- Examined baseline data from an opioid prevention project in a midwestern metropolitan area.
- Recruited 240 YEH (ages 18-24) from a drop-in center and other locations.
- Administered self-report questionnaires on service needs and utilization over the preceding three months.
Main Results:
- High demand for housing (97.5%), drop-in centers (81.2%), identification (49.6%), medical care (46.0%), and dental care (44.4%).
- Significant unmet needs were reported across most service categories.
- Despite high needs, utilization of services, excluding drop-in centers, was notably low.
Conclusions:
- YEH exhibit substantial unmet service needs, particularly for housing and healthcare.
- Low service utilization among YEH, despite identified needs, indicates significant barriers to access.
- Future interventions must focus on enhancing service accessibility and uptake for YEH to improve health and housing stability.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Specialized Care Centers and Settings-II
776
Rural Health Centers
Rural health centers are specialized care facilities in remote locations with very few medical personnel. The primary care providers who run the centers are mostly Registered Nurse Practitioners. Here, emergency treatment is provided to critically ill or injured patients before they are transferred to the closest hospital. Fortunately, due to advancement in technology, many rural healthcare facilities and professionals have easy access to diagnostic and treatment...
Rural health centers are specialized care facilities in remote locations with very few medical personnel. The primary care providers who run the centers are mostly Registered Nurse Practitioners. Here, emergency treatment is provided to critically ill or injured patients before they are transferred to the closest hospital. Fortunately, due to advancement in technology, many rural healthcare facilities and professionals have easy access to diagnostic and treatment...
776
01:22Case Studies
12.1K
There are many research methods available to psychologists in their efforts to understand, describe, and explain behavior and the cognitive and biological processes that underlie it.
12.1K
01:27Ethnic Identity within a Larger Culture
86
Adolescents from ethnic minority backgrounds face a multifaceted journey in forming their identities, shaped by the intersections of cultural expectations and personal exploration. For these adolescents, identity formation involves not only typical developmental challenges but also navigating the perceptions and attitudes of the majority culture. As they grow, adolescents in ethnic minority groups often become increasingly aware of stereotypes, social biases, and discrimination, all of which...
86
01:30Community Based Intervention
94
Community-based interventions in mental health represent a paradigm shift from institution-centered care to treatments embedded within the fabric of local communities. By prioritizing inclusion and leveraging existing societal structures, this approach fosters a supportive environment conducive to addressing mental health challenges while promoting individual dignity and agency.
Foundations of Community Mental Health Programs
Central to the success of community-based interventions is the...
Foundations of Community Mental Health Programs
Central to the success of community-based interventions is the...
94
01:50Cross-Sectional Research
11.8K
In cross-sectional research, a researcher compares multiple segments of the population at the same time. If they were interested in people's dietary habits, the researcher might directly compare different groups of people by age. Instead of following a group of people for 20 years to see how their dietary habits changed from decade to decade, the researcher would study a group of 20-year-old individuals and compare them to a group of 30-year-old individuals and a group of 40-year-old...
11.8K
01:24Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep
217
Substance use disorders involve a pattern of using drugs more extensively than intended and continuing use despite harmful consequences. This includes legal substances like alcohol and nicotine, as well as illegal drugs. These disorders often involve both physical and psychological dependence, reflecting compulsive use of substances that significantly alter thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, contributing to a major public health issue.
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
217