For my first group of annotated bibliographies I chose to focus on the relationship between homelessness and race/gender.

Gattis, Maurice N., and Andrea Larson. “Perceived Racial, Sexual Identity, And Homeless Status-Related Discrimination Among Black Adolescents And Young Adults Experiencing Homelessness: Relations With Depressive Symptoms And Suicidality.” American Journal Of Orthopsychiatry 86.1 (2016): 79-90. PsycARTICLES. Web. 6 Feb. 2016.

The researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison address the relationship between the mental health status of racial and sexual minorities and their status of homelessness. While other studies examine the impact of the marginalization on adolescents and young adults, there is still a lack of clarity when researchers try to understand the developmental outcomes associated with racial and sexual minority and their status of homelessness. This study examines associations between suicidality, discrimination, and depressive symptoms of 89 Black adolescents and young adults. Results indicate that among the community of the Black homeless youth, depressive symptoms and suicidality are highly prevalent. Results also indicate that those depressive symptoms are related to racial discrimination. Factors such as a lack of safe housing, policies, and programs are identified as problems ailing the community of Black adolescents experiencing homelessness and mental illness. The need for the careful consideration and implementation of programs and policies that include the needs of people of color with mental health issues and the homeless community are suggested solutions for this study.

Shelton, Jama. “Transgender Youth Homelessness: Understanding Programmatic Barriers Through The Lens Of Cisgenderism.” Children And Youth Services Review 59.(2015): 10-18. ScienceDirect. Web. 6 Feb. 2016.

The researchers and authors address the lack of service access and acquisition for transgender and gender expansive young people.  Due to institutional practices and sex segregated programs that do not allow the articulation of their gender, the authors recognize the need for services specifically designed to meet the needs of transgender adolescents experiencing homelessness. The study investigates the lives and experiences of a group of New York city based transgender and gender expansive youth that have experienced homelessness. Authors begin by defining transgender, gender expansive, and cisgender. The phrase transgender and gender expansive are utilized to encompass a wide variety and range of expressions noted by the participants. Cisgender is defined as a systemic ideology that denies gender identities that do not align with assigned gender at birth. The results of the study discovered that the program experiences of the participants were collectively associated with institutions that did not recognize their “self-designated” genders and confirms the need for programs that support transgender and gender expansive individuals.

Finfgeld-Connett, Deborah. “Becoming Homeless, Being Homeless, And Resolving Homelessness Among Women.” Issues In Mental Health Nursing 31.7 (2010): 461-469. MEDLINE with Full Text. Web. 6 Feb. 2016.

The researchers of the University of Missouri, Sinclair School of Nursing investigate the lived experiences of homeless women and make inferences that suggest optimal social services have positive influences on their future experiences. Authors address the causes for the recent rise in homelessness among women which include: a shortage in affordable housing, increase in poverty, domestic violence, mental illness, and substance abuse.  Research indicates that homeless women are prone to perceptions of hopelessness, abandonment, and shame. Homelessness does not only affect women, but it also negatively impacts women and their children. Researchers discover that homeless women are ill-equipped to prevent and resolve homelessness. A resolution for this discovery is through the use of nurses to advocate and educate women. Nurses are encouraged to empower women through interpersonal, intrapersonal, and environmental factors. Moving from a place of homelessness to “stable housing” requires basic elements of a long-term multidimentional process that includes taking action and becoming empowered.