Coping during the COVID-19 pandemic among young adults experiencing homelessness and unstable housing: A qualitative study.
Karen DiValerio Gibbs, Jennifer Torres Jones, Whitney LaMark and 5 others
PMID 36251216WHAT IT FOUND
Young adults experiencing homelessness linked pandemic closures to worsening food, money, and housing insecurity, stress, and substance use.
Some used masking, social support, or optimism to cope; access to basic services and mental health care remained difficult.
Key findings
01Pandemic closures, job loss, and supply shortages worsened young adults' basic needs, finances, and housing stability.
0223 of the 40 participants reported low COVID worry, yet stress, anxiety, boredom, caregiver strain, and increased substance use were described.
03Coping included practical prevention and self-care, social support, optimism, and also substance use to manage boredom or stress.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This is a qualitative interview study. It describes what participants said. It does not test whether any coping strategy works. Only 40 English-speaking young adults from one parent HIV prevention study in Southeast Texas were included. The sample may not represent youth who do not speak English or who are more disconnected from services. Participants were already experiencing homelessness. Financial, job, and housing instability were present before the pandemic. It was difficult to isolate the pandemic's effect on mental health or substance use. The interviews happened before COVID vaccines were available and before government economic payments were disbursed. They do not capture later pandemic experiences. The study relied on self-reported phone interviews.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. Funding came from the National Institutes of Health.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that pandemic stress caused worse mental health or substance use in all young adults experiencing homelessness. The study describes themes from 40 English-speaking participants in one city. Most participants reported low worry about COVID, and some reported no elevated stress.