Psychological distress among young people who are couchsurfing: an exploratory analysis of correlated factors

ABSTRACT

In this brief report, we explore the relationship between psychological distress and couchsurfing, with attention to the latter’s transitory and cyclic nature. The Kessler scale of psychological distress (K10) was administered as part of a semi-structured interview to 63 young people who had couchsurfed within the past 18 months. A robust regression was used to explore the associations between demographic and couchsurfing factors and cumulative K10 score. Gender, cultural background, age when leaving home, and number of hosts stayed with during the last couchsurfing episode emerged as statistically significant factors. Our study finds that young people who are couchsurfing have much higher levels of psychological distress than their peers in the general population. We suggest, based on these results and others, that homelessness services should reassess how they prioritize and serve young people who are couchsurfing.

KEYWORDS:

• Couchsurfing
• homelessness
• homeless youth
• psychological distress

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Queensland Department of Child Safety, Youth, and Women; and Brisbane City Council.

Notes on contributors

Katie Hail-Jares

Katie Hail-Jares (she/her) is a lecturer in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia. Her work focuses on how criminalising behaviour impacts the health of people, including sex workers, people who use drugs, homeless youth, and incarcerated communities.

Rhianon Vichta-Ohlsen

Rhianon Vichta-Ohlsen (she/her) is the Research and Evaluation Manager for Brisbane Youth Service, leading practice research and outcomes measurement specifically adapted to the complex intersecting issues of young people who experience homelessness associated risks. She became a researcher and evaluator after spending more than 20 years delivering, designing, managing and working to improve social programs both in Australia and overseas.

Theo Butler

Theo Butler (they/them) is an undergraduate student studying Psychological Sciences. They have lived experiences with homelessness as a queer individual. Their passion for contributing toward queer discussions has seen contributions at conventions, on panels, in organisation training programs, and within articles. They aim to work with diverse individuals and families upon the completion of their studies. They are a member of the community advisory group.

Anna Dunne

Anna Dunne (she/they) is an Accredited Social Worker with 8 years in the field supporting children and adults in group settings. She has lived experience of domestic violence and homelessness, and is a member of the LGBTIQAP+ community. This places them in a unique position to be able to genuinely understand client struggles and provide help that is not only evidence-based but empathetic. Anna currently works with young people experiencing complex mental health concerns and their families.