Psychological distress among young people who are couchsurfing: an exploratory analysis of correlated factors
Author(s)
Hail-Jares, Katie
Vichta-Ohlsen, Rhianon
Butler, Theo
Dunne, Anna
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2021
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
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 ...
View more >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.
View less >
View more >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.
View less >
Journal Title
Journal of Social Distress and Homelessness
Note
This publication has been entered in Griffith Research Online as an advanced online version.
Subject
Criminology
Sociology
Psychology
Social Sciences
Social Work
Couchsurfing
homelessness
homeless youth