Outcomes for Adolescents Using Runaway and Homeless Youth Services

Abstract

The purpose of this initial exploration was to identify relationships among outcomes and sociodemographic variables for runaway and homeless youths treated in community agencies. Outcome categories included clinical status, functioning, life satisfaction, and welfare and safety. Seventy youths were interviewed three months after discharge from three federally funded agencies serving runaway and homeless youth in the greater St. Louis area. Analyses among outcomes revealed a variety of significant relationships; most predominately, a pattern emerged revealing that returning to parental homes post-discharge was associated with a variety of other positive outcomes. The findings support the mission of agencies and federal mandates for designing services to this population; youths that are minors should be encouraged, where feasible, to return to parental homes. Although limited in scope and research methods, the present exploratory study provides an appropriate starting place from which to base future research on this

Key Words:

• Homeless and runaway youths
• adolescents
• outcomes
• post-discharge location
• families