The study was conducted to determine from the perceptions of professionals whether life experiences or becoming homeless was the traumatic event that triggered (PTSD) posttraumatic stress disorder amid the homeless adolescent population of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill North Carolina. Participants included 12 professionals with experience of working with homeless adolescents ages 13-18, in regards, to posttraumatic stress disorder development. A questionnaire was utilized for 14 participants to gather the information for the study, in which, had an 85.7% response rate. The results did not determine whether it was life experiences or becoming homeless that was the traumatic event that triggered the development amid the homeless adolescent population in Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. However, the study did yield a PTSD issue within the population and a lack of service providers to help address the issue. The study also revealed a need to further research the issue to identify the true scope of the problem and to implement services to help address the issue of PTSD amidst the population.
An Examination of the Perceptions of Professionals Regarding
Homeless Adolescents and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Chapter One: Introduction
This study examined the perceptions of professionals working with homeless adolescents 13-18, in regards, to PTSD. The professionals taking part in the study will have experience of working with homeless adolescents in the
After nearly half a millennium of rule, the Romans began to lose their grip on Europe in the fifth century. The Fall of Rome left in its ruin political chaos, confusion, wide spread devastation, although the Romans at the time had no idea the fall of Rome was occurring. Divide of Western and Eastern Rome, invasions, military disloyalty, and economic instability are some of the factors associated with the fall of Rome. In AD 476, the last Roman emperor in the west, Romulus Augustulus, was removed from power by Odovacar, leader of the Goths.
Substance abuse was noticed as a major obstacle to conquering homelessness. Addictive behaviors in the same way as alcoholism and drug abuse were frequently identified in every focus group discussion, with many participants unfolding their experiences with alcohol, drugs and the drug culture that dictates the world of homelessness. They converse in the harmful interactive effect of substance abuse and the crime that threatens the lives of all people who live on the streets. Veterans consistently conversed their efforts to deal with medical, clinical problems such as seizures, depression, schizophrenia, adjustment issues, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and flashbacks and the compounding effects of these problems on their daily struggle for survival. Most psychosocial and psychiatric problems came from veterans who experienced combat duty while serving in Vietnam. These veterans noted that their experiences had a profound impact on their ability to fully adjust to society. An additional commonly cited mental health problem related to negative self-esteem feelings of negative self-worth and their profound impact on their ability to cope. Although they expressed a strong desire to overcome their current problems, their lack of self-esteem was a barrier that often destroyed their will and determination to escape homelessness (Applewhite
At least 50% of all adults and children are exposed to a psychologically traumatic event (such as a life-threatening assault or accident, humanmade or natural disaster, or war). As many as 67% of trauma survivors experience lasting psychosocial impairment, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); panic, phobic, or generalized anxiety disorders; depression; or substance abuse.(Van der Kolk, et al, 1994) Symptoms of PTSD include persistent involuntary re-experiencing of traumatic distress, emotional numbing and detachment from other people, and hyperarousal (irritability, insomnia, fearfulness, nervous agitation). PTSD is linked to structural neurochemical changes in the central nervous system which may have a direct
The purpose of the study was to learn more about the relationship between PTSD and homelessness with veterans, as well as the risk factors associated with both.
Median and advocacy accounts have pointed out how the increased incidence of homelessness has its roots in service-connected factors, particularly posttramatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), in addition to the more general economic conditions they face on reentering civilian
These four groups were then compared on background characteristics, mental health diagnoses, housing status, and clinical status (21 variables) at program admission using non-parametric, omnibus Kruskal–Wallis analysis of variance and chi-square tests (Tsai, Kasprow, & Rosenheck, 2014)”. A thorough look into what are the cons of homeless it does not only affects the homeless person but it also affects a society as a whole. Homeless veterans need continuous services, they need intense counseling. Homeless veterans have not only lost their homes but in many situation they have also lost their families.
Among those who served in the Vietnam War, 84.8% of those diagnosed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder still show moderate impairment of symptoms, even 30 plus years after the war (Glover 2014). As of today, the Unites States has 2.8 million veterans who served in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, of those it is estimated that 11 to 20% currently suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. As of 2013, a total of 12,632 veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars are currently diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Glover 2014). Of course it is to be taken into account that these numbers are based on those who admit to experiencing symptoms and seek treatment.
Many youth who have or are still living on the streets have faced sexual or physical abuse from an adult at some point in their lives and the data states that 61% of all youth face this (McKay, E, (2009). Seeing the Possibilities. The Need for a Mental health Focus Amongst Street-Involved Youth: Recognizing and Supporting Resilience. Toronto: Wellesley Institute.). Approximately 1,500 – 2,000 homeless youth make up the total amount of homeless people sleeping on the streets every night in Toronto; this number is considerably large and it continues to grow because the issue of youth homelessness or homelessness in general is not thought of as a priority by various levels of government and therefore
In the United States, there is an issue concerning homelessness. There are thousands of individuals in America do not have permanent employment nor stable housing. The homeless people live on the streets while suffering from diseases, such as PTSD, and sleep deprivation. Per statics, a high number of homeless individuals involve veterans whom have served the country in some form or fashion. The U.S Department of Veteran Affairs states that the homeless veterans’ population is mostly consisted of males, while only 5 percent is female. This survey conducted by veteran affairs shows most of them are single individuals that came from rural areas, but also suffered from mental diseases, substance/alcohol abuse and even co-occurring disorders; in
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a relatively new diagnosis that was associated with survivors of war when it was first introduced. Its diagnosis was met largely with skepticism and dismissal by the public of the validity of the illness. PTSD was only widely accepted when it was included as a diagnosis in 1980 in the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) of the American Psychiatric Association. PTSD is a complex mental disorder that develops in response to exposure to a severe traumatic event that stems a cluster of symptoms. Being afflicted with the disorder is debilitating, disrupting an individual’s ability to function and perform the most basic tasks.
Throughout the United States, there are a large number of individuals that goes unnoticed. Hidden in right plain sight, but are overlooked. They can be our friends, family, classmates, or the person standing right next you to at this moment. There are young individuals who are facing the tremendous challenge of being homeless. They are overlooked by many in society. However, there have been countless individuals, groups, organizations dedicated to ending youth homelessness. However, they are confronted with challenges due to the lack of interest. The lack of interest found within society can contribute to barriers to ending youth homelessness.
Two contemporary social problems of interest are transitional housing needs for homeless mothers and domestic violence in the African American community. Fischer (2000) wrote homeless families face the economic and personal challenges of sparse employment opportunities, child care and nutrition needs, compounded by the loss of adequate housing. Those with the greatest risk of being unemployed and of becoming long term welfare dependent are teen mothers (Fischer, 2000). In addition, depression and the loss of self-confidence are direct results of being homeless. Homelessness destroys self-esteem and promotes hopelessness.
A moment is defined as a brief period of time. (Merriam Webster) The average lifespan of a person consists of 27,375 days, that is 39,420,000 minutes. Within those hundreds of thousands of minutes humans have the opportunity to experience a moment. These experiences can be either good, bad or neutral. A significant moment in my life was the moment I was sexually assaulted. For a long period of time that experience held a negative impact in my life but also taught me that there are too many ongoing experiences to let one moment define the rest.
However, Diaz and Motta focused their study on adolescent participants and on PTSD. For this study, participants were between the ages of 14 and 17 and were all female from a residential treatment facility that met the criteria for PTSD (Diaz & Motta, 2008). The researchers used the following self-report inventories to measure the level of PTSD: (a) Child PTSD Symptom Scale [CPSS] (Foa, Johnson, Feeny, & Treadwell, 2001), (b) Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children [TSCC] (Briere, 1996), (c) Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children [MASC] (March, 1997), (d) Children’s Depression Inventory [CDI] (Kovacs, 1992) (Diaz & Motta, 2008).
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a psychological disorder portrayed by symptoms of recurrent stress episodes generated by life-threatening events. Such symptoms include, but are not limited to, flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance, irritability, and insomnia. Moreover, these symptoms interfere with daily life activities in an unfavorable way, while also causing distress. A biological susceptibility is, in part, responsible for some of the risk in the development of PTSD. Psychological reasoning behind the disorder includes a strong and stressful traumatic event, neuroticism and low extraversion personalities, and negative cognition before the trauma among others. Being a woman, living in urban areas, having a low education, receiving low income, and even belonging to a minority race or ethnicity can increase you sociocultural risk of developing PTSD. The disorder is generally treated with psychotherapy, behavioral therapy, or cognitive therapy along with medication.