Relationships of Sexual Abuse, Connectedness, and Loneliness to Perceived Well‐Being in Homeless Youth

ISSUES AND PURPOSE: To describe respondents' perceptions of connectedness, loneliness, and well-being; and to explore relationships among these variables. DESIGN AND METHOD: Survey data from 96 participants, focus group interviews with 32 participants, and 10 individual interviews were analyzed. RESULTS: Sixty percent of the sample reported sexual abuse, which was significantly related to loneliness and inversely related to connectedness and perceived well-being. Subjects felt lonely and disconnected. They perceived their well-being in terms of current health status. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: High rates of sexual abuse, lack of connectedness, and loneliness may help to explain poor perceived well-being in homeless youth.