Psychological factors strengthening homeless youths’ life satisfaction

ABSTRACT

Life satisfaction among homeless youth is particularly low, yet remains a poorly investigated phenomenon. This study aims to explore three positive psychological factors related to homeless youth’s life satisfaction: self-esteem, coping strategies, and social support. Seventy-four homeless adolescents from eight different shelters in Quebec (Canada) were interviewed to fill out self-report questionnaires. Multiple regression analysis revealed that coping strategies focused on solving the problem, positive self-esteem, and to worry less about the future contributed the most to homeless youths’ life satisfaction. These psychological variables contributed to life satisfaction after adjusting for a set of potential covariates: gender, sexual abuse, and mental health. In conclusion, improving homeless youths’ self-esteem, developing their capacity to actively solve their problems, and finding alternatives to unproductive worry seem to represent key components for enhancing homeless adolescents’ life satisfaction.

KEYWORDS:

• Homeless youths
• life satisfaction
• self-esteem
• coping strategies
• social support

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Gilles Dupuis, Ph.D., Claude Berthiaume, M.Sc. and Hugues Leduc, M.Sc. for their assistance in performing the statistical analysis. We would also like to thank Sophie Trudel, M.Ps. who coordinated the research, and Violette Kerleaux, Ph.D. candidate, Tianna Loose, Ph.D. and Patrick Riley, B.A. for their help in editing the paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

Data analyzed in this research were collected thanks to a study grant awarded to Prof. Labelle and Prof. Daigle by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (55001901).

Notes on contributors

Geoffrey Gauvin

Geoffrey Gauvin, is a Ph.D. candidate in psychology at the Department of Psychology of the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and member of the Centre for Research and Intervention on Suicide, Ethical Issues and End-of-Life Practices of the Université du Québec à Montréal.

Réal Labelle

Réal Labelle, Ph.D. is full professor at the Department of Psychology of the Université du Québec à Montréal and associate professor at the Department of Psychiatry of the Université de Montréal. He is a researcher at the Centre for Research and Intervention on Suicide, Ethical Issues and End-of-Life Practices of the Université du Québec à Montréal and at the Research Centre of the Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal.

Marc Daigle

Marc Daigle, Ph.D. is a retired professor at the Department of Psychology of the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières.

Jean-Jacques Breton

Jean-Jacques Breton, M.D. is a retired clinical professor at the Department of Psychiatry of the Université de Montréal.

Janie Houle

Janie Houle, Ph.D. is full professor at the Department of Psychology of the Université du Québec à Montréal. She is a researcher at the Centre for Research and Intervention on Suicide, Ethical Issues and End-of-Life Practices of the Université du Québec à Montréal and at the Research Centre of the Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal.