The characteristics and mental health of homeless adolescents: Age and gender differences

A large and heterogeneous sample of 364 homeless adolescents was interviewe d about residential and family histories, as well as about their experience s while homeless. They were also administered a diagnostic interview and va rious self-report measures of emotional and behavioral functioning. Analyse s were conducted to provide a better description of these youth, with a spe cial focus on gender and age heterogeneity. Results of analyses suggested t hat homeless youth came from generally troubled backgrounds and had elevate d rates of psychiatric disorders. For boys, their histories typically inclu ded physical abuse during childhood, physical assault on the street and ele vated rates of externalizing disorders. For girls, histories were more ofte n marked by sexual abuse during childhood, sexual victimization on the stre ets. and elevated rates of internalizing disorders, implications of these r esults for service delivery are discussed.