Gender matters: Exploring the mental health of youth experiencing homelessness, a qualitative study

Abstract

It is well known that gender shapes mental health experiences broadly. Gender adds an additional layer to the already complex experience of being a male, female, or transgender young person who is experiencing homelessness. Yet, research in this area is limited. The purpose of this qualitative, interpretive description study was to understand how gender shapes the mental health of youth who are experiencing homelessness in the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada. Eleven young people between the ages of 16 and 24 were recruited from a youth shelter and participated in a semi-structured interview. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed so that data could be analyzed using thematic analysis and Gender Based Analysis Plus. Findings revealed four contextual factors that appear to influence a young person’s mental health while homeless, but that are experienced differently depending on one’s gender identity. These factors include (1) housing acquisition is challenging, (2) appearances are meaningful, (3) cleanliness and hygiene are expected, and (4) utilizing mental health resources is complicated. Additionally, the many strengths that the youth identified and demonstrated in navigating their circumstances are highlighted in our results. These strengths include (1) exhibiting resilience, (2) expressing the ability to survive, (3) imagining a world that is better, (4) articulating their needs, and (5) drawing on their social connections. The gendered lens that guides this study provides a challenge to the homogenous way that young people experiencing homelessness are often portrayed within the literature. The experiences of young people who live with homelessness cannot simply be addressed within the siloed categories of gender, homelessness, and age. Ensuring that interventions are tailored to meet young people’s specific gendered needs is both a matter of human rights and health equity. Practical implications for service providers are discussed.