Microaggressions and the Health and Well Being of Homeless Youth of Color

Introduction: The current investigation examines the association between microaggressions, or acts of subtle discrimination, based on homeless status and race and emotional wellbeing among homeless youth. Homeless youth, disproportionately minority, are often at risk for experiencing discrimination based on their housing status and/or race, and lack the resources to effectively cope with these threats. Preliminary research suggests that youth who experience discrimination and stigmatization based on their homelessness are at risk for low self-esteem, loneliness, and suicidal ideation. The impact of stigma and discrimination is especially harmful for individuals who were abused in their childhood, as is true for a disproportionate number of homeless youth. Method: Survey data were collected from 53 homeless youth (age 16 – 24) at drop-in centers in New York City. The sample consisted of 25 males, 18 females, and the rest identified as transgendered or other (n=10). The sample was predominantly Black (n=19; 36%) and Hispanic (n=11; 21%). Validated measures included Child Behavior Checklist (mental health and well being) and REMS (Racial Microaggressions). Homelessness microaggressions, a newly developed construct, were assessed by a scale developed and validated for this study. This measure consisted of three subscales: assumption of mental inferiority (AMI) (“people assume I am uneducated”), assumptions of physical inferiority (API) (“people assume I am physically ill”) and invisibility (“I am often ignored”). Racial microaggressions were assessed using the REMS. Findings: Hierarchical regressions were used to determine whether there is a relationship between microaggressions and wellbeing. The equations included homelessness microaggressions in the first block and racial microaggressions in the second block. In terms of homelessness microaggressions, higher levels of AMI were associated with more rule breaking behavior (b=.09, SE=.04) and aggressive behavior (b=.13, SE=.06); Higher levels of API were associated with more somatic symptoms (b=.19, SE=.08); And, higher levels of invisibility were associated with lower levels of somatic symptoms (b=-.30, SE=.14), social problems (b=-.30, SE=.15) and aggressive behaviors (b=-.53, SE=.22). In terms of racial microaggressions, higher levels were associated with more social problems (b=.08, SE=.04) and aggressive behaviors (b=.12, SE=.06). Conclusions: Results indicate that homeless youth who experience stigmatization based on their housing status and/or race, also report higher levels of psycho-social problems. The relative contribution of racial microaggressions to wellbeing is significant, even after controlling for homelessness microaggressions. Understanding more about this association will provide the foundation for developing a sound intervention for homeless youth and essential training for service providers and community members.