Self-Efficacy Versus Social Connectedness Among Homeless Youth: Prioritizing Approaches to Service Provision in a Time of Limited Agency Resources

Background: Homeless youth encounter a number of risks while living on the streets, including physical and sexual victimization, which are associated with mental health and substance use concerns. While prior research has established that both self-efficacy and social connectedness are protective factors among vulnerable youth populations, few research efforts have directly compared the relative effect of self-efficacy versus social connectedness in buffering homeless youth from negative outcomes. These two distinct protective factors have different service implications, with self-efficacy programs targeting individual skill-building, and social connectedness programs aiming to help youth build supportive networks. Resource-strapped agencies can therefore benefit from understanding which of these protective factors has the greatest potential to prevent youths’ negative outcomes in order to prioritize service approaches accordingly. The current study assessed: among homeless youth, what are the relative effects of self-efficacy and social connectedness on common negative outcomes, including physical assault, sexual assault, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance use disorder?

Methods: Through a cross-sectional, multi-city design, quantitative interview data were collected from homeless youth ages 18-24 (N=601) seeking services in shelters, drop-in centers, and transitional housing sites in Austin (n=200), Denver (n=201), and Los Angeles (n=200). This study utilized standardized instruments to measure self-efficacy (Client Evaluation of Self & Treatment Scale); social connectedness (Social Connectedness Scale); physical and sexual assault while living on the streets (Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire); and major depressive episode, PTSD, and substance use disorder (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview). Structural equation modeling (Mplus 6) was used to estimate a path analysis with two exogenous variables (self-efficacy and social connectedness) predicting five endogenous dependent variables (physical assault, sexual assault, PTSD, depression, substance use disorder), controlling for demographic (age, gender, race/ethnicity, city) and homelessness risk factors (primary living situation, transience, time homeless).

Results: The path analysis model demonstrated excellent fit (Χ²=11.21, df=16, p=.80; CFI=1.00; RMSEA=.00). Social connectedness had significant standardized effects on physical assault (β =-.12, p<.05), sexual assault (β=-.19, p<.01), PTSD (β =-.23, p<.001), Depression (β =-.44, p<.001), and Substance Use Disorder (β =-.17, p<.01), whereas self-efficacy had significant effects on PTSD (β =-.21, p<.001), and Depression (β =-.17, p<.01). 

Implications: Findings suggest that while both self-efficacy and social connectedness are important in protecting homeless youth, social connectedness represents a more compelling buffer against victimization, substance use, and mental health problems. In an age of limited resources and opportunities to intervene, these findings may inform homeless youth service agencies as they prioritize their approaches to service provision. Interventions and services that emphasize fostering youths’ social networks, including their development of supportive connections to other individuals, groups, and the surrounding community, may hold the most promise in reducing homeless youths’ negative life experiences. Future research with vulnerable populations would benefit from further exploration of strategies that utilize social connectedness as a core intervention construct.