Predictors of Treatment Engagement Among Suicidal Youth Experiencing Homelessness (original) (raw)

2021, Community Mental Health Journal

Adolescents and young adults experiencing homelessness report high rates of suicidal ideation and attempts, yet limited research has examined predictors of treatment engagement among suicidal homeless youth populations. Suicidal homeless youth (N=150) between the ages of 18 and 24 years old were recruited from a local drop-in center in Columbus, Ohio. Participants were randomly assigned to Cognitive Therapy for Suicide Prevention + treatment as usual through a local drop-in center (CTSP + TAU) (N=75) or TAU alone (N=75), and treatment attendance among those assigned to CTSP +TAU was examined in the current study. As expected, among youth engaged in CTSP+TAU, those with a history of intimate partner violence (IPV) showed decreased odds of treatment attendance. Findings also revealed that youth randomized into CTSP+TAU with higher acquired capability for suicide (ACS) scores and those identifying as Black were more likely to attend treatment sessions. These findings suggest that effective treatment implementation must consider youth's trauma history, demographics and severity of suicidal ideation and behaviors. Suicide is the leading cause of death among youth experiencing homelessness, and it occurs at a shocking rate, with up to 68% of those youth attempting suicide at least once in their lifetime (National Healthcare for the Homeless, 2018; Whitbeck et al., 2004). As 9.7% of those between ages 18 to 25 years will experience homelessness (Morton et al., 2018), efforts to prevent suicide among this group is a pressing public health concern. However, these marginalized youth are chronically underserved and understudied. Also, homeless youth is a term commonly used to describe homeless adolescents and young adults up to the age of 24 (Edidin, et al., 2012). Efforts to engage homeless youth in prevention services are extremely limited (Hudson et al., 2010; Quimby et al., 2012), but when they occur, low levels of engagement with