Homeless young adults and behavioral health - An overview

Young adults (ages 18-24) are especially vulnerable to homelessness in the United States, and those experiencing homelessness exhibit high prevalence for many kinds of abuse and negative health outcomes. This article reviews common behavioral health issues facing homeless youth and assesses collective wisdom on effective treatments and services for this vulnerable population. On the whole, the research remains focused on individual-level risk and protective factors and service use patterns and preferences, which detracts from the structural issues that have shaped these individuals' experiences in the first place and are key to resolving them.