#Adolescents of color and #teens who identify as #gay, #lesbian, or #bisexual are much more likely to experience #homelessness, a new study suggests. By Lisa Rapaport #Teens who experienced #homelessness were more than twice as likely to seriously consider, plan, or attempt #suicide. More than 1 in 20 U.S. #highschool #students have experienced #homelessness, putting them at increased risk for a wide range of #mentalhealth and substance use problems, a new study suggests. As of 2019, before the #COVID-19 #pandemic shuttered #schools and created an avalanche of emotional and financial challenges for #American families, 5.6 percent of U.S. #highschool #students were #homeless, the study found. #Youths without housing were significantly more likely to be #male, #Black, #Hispanic, or identify as #gay or #lesbian, researchers report yesterday in JAMA. Compared with #teens with secure housing, those who experienced #homelessness were more than twice as likely to seriously consider, plan, or attempt #suicide, the study found. #Homeless #teens were also more than twice as likely to binge drink or misuse prescription opioids, and roughly 13 times more likely to use heroin, approximately 8 times more likely to use cocaine, about 7 times more prone to using methamphetamine or injected drugs, and more than 5 times more likely to use ecstasy. “Our study found that #homeless #adolescents experienced significantly worse #mentalhealth and more substance use than their housed counterparts,” senior study author Rishi Wadhera, MD, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical in Boston, said in a statement. For the study, researchers examined data from the National #Youth #Behavior Survey, which #highschool #students can complete voluntarily and anonymously. Overall, the study included data on almost 106,000 #teens who had secure housing and roughly 4,500 #adolescents who experienced #homelessness, which researchers defined as lacking a “fixed, regular, or adequate nighttime residence.” One limitation of the study is the possibility that it underestimated the disproportionate burden of #homelessness among #LGBTQ+ #youth because most high #school #students left questions about their #sexualorientation and gender identity blank. Another drawback is that researchers lacked data on whether #homeless #teens were on their own or living with a family. #James Donaldson notes: Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes. Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use. Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book, Celebrating Your Gift of Life: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy http://www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com Beyond this, it’s likely that the problem has only gotten worse since the start of the #pandemic, Dr. Wadhera said. “The U.S. is facing a #youth #homelessness crisis, which will only be exacerbated by challenges presented by the #COVID-19 #pandemic, including parental deaths, housing evictions, and worsening poverty,” Wadhera said. “We need to implement policies and interventions that improve broad health, social, and educational outcomes among homeless #adolescents, and perhaps more importantly, prevent and end #adolescent #homelessness altogether.” 
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