Evaluated in this study war the extent to which stress, coping strateg
ies, and social support were associated with depressive symptoms, poor
physical health, and substance use in homeless youth. Data were obtai
ned from a stratified random sample of 432 homeless youth recruited fr
om service sites and street sites in Los Angeles, California. Stressfu
l life events were associated positively with symptoms of depression,
poor physical health, and substance use. Use of emotion-focused coping
strategies increased the risk of symptoms of depression, poor health,
and substance-use disorders, whereas use of problem-focused coping st
rategies decreased the risk of alcohol use disorder and poor health. S
ocial support decreased the risk of symptoms of depression and poor he
alth but war not related to the risk of substance use. Results indicat
e that effective coping skills rind social support may counteract the
negative effects of stressful life events on physical and psychologica
l health in homeless youth.