Trauma Among Unaccompanied Homeless Youth: The Integration of Street Culture into a Model of Intervention |
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Authors: | Holly H. McManus |
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Affiliation: | University of Texas at Austin , |
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Abstract: | Homeless adolescents comprise a population particularly vulnerable to developing symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Research has shown that prevalence of trauma-related symptoms among homeless youth living in shelters and on the streets without families is approximately 18%. The detrimental effects of traumatic experiences often inhibit homeless youths' ability to employ the psychosocial skills necessary to a transition out of homelessness. Consequently, interventions targeting the mitigation of post-traumatic stress symptoms among this population are crucial. This article aims to address the symptoms and needs of unaccompanied homeless youth who experience post-traumatic stress disorder symptomatology and offers a strength-based intervention framework for understanding, identifying, and beginning to address trauma-related mental health needs within the cultural context and experience of youth homelessness. |
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Keywords: | Homeless youth street youth post-traumatic stress youth intervention strength-based interventions cognitive behavioral interventions |
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