Background: Young adults experiencing homelessness (YAEH) experience more stressors compared to housed peers, yet little is known about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these youth. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how YAEH perceived the pandemic's impact on their well-being and coping.
Methods: YAEH were recruited from those participating in an HIV prevention study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysis was guided by Lazarus and Folkman's transactional theory of stress and coping.
Results: Four major themes were identified from interviews with 40 youth: (1) ongoing harms, (2) COVID-19 as a stressor, (3) mental health impacts, and (4) coping strategies. Participants described unmet basic needs, emotions of frustration and anxiety, and several coping strategies including substance use.
Conclusion: Many YAEH reported experiencing continued challenges that were compounded by the stressors related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Special considerations are needed to address pandemic-related exacerbations of mental health symptoms and substance use among YAEH.
Keywords: COVID-19; mental health; substance use; young adults; youth experiencing homelessness.
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