Cognitive Impairment in Marginally Housed Youth: Prevalence and Risk Factors
Objective: Homeless and marginally housed youth are particularly vulnerable members of society, and are known to experience numerous health problems, including psychiatric illness, substance use, and viral infection. Despite the presence of these risk factors for cognitive compromise, there is limit...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2019-10-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00270/full |
| _version_ | 1818038814049828864 |
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| author | Kristina Waclawik Andrea A. Jones Skye P. Barbic Skye P. Barbic Skye P. Barbic Skye P. Barbic Kristina M. Gicas Tiffany A. O'Connor Geoffrey N. Smith Olga Leonova Steve Mathias Steve Mathias Steve Mathias Steve Mathias Alasdair M. Barr Ric M. Procyshyn Donna J. Lang Melissa L. Woodward G. William MacEwan G. William MacEwan William J. Panenka Aiko Yamamoto William G. Honer Allen E. Thornton |
| author_facet | Kristina Waclawik Andrea A. Jones Skye P. Barbic Skye P. Barbic Skye P. Barbic Skye P. Barbic Kristina M. Gicas Tiffany A. O'Connor Geoffrey N. Smith Olga Leonova Steve Mathias Steve Mathias Steve Mathias Steve Mathias Alasdair M. Barr Ric M. Procyshyn Donna J. Lang Melissa L. Woodward G. William MacEwan G. William MacEwan William J. Panenka Aiko Yamamoto William G. Honer Allen E. Thornton |
| author_sort | Kristina Waclawik |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective: Homeless and marginally housed youth are particularly vulnerable members of society, and are known to experience numerous health problems, including psychiatric illness, substance use, and viral infection. Despite the presence of these risk factors for cognitive compromise, there is limited research on the cognitive functioning of homeless and marginally housed youth. The present study examines the degree and pattern of cognitive impairment and associations with key risk factors in a sample of marginally housed young adults.Method: Participants (N = 101) aged 20–29 years old were recruited from single-room occupancy hotels, and underwent cognitive, psychiatric, neurological, and serological assessments.Results: Forty percent of participants were identified as mildly cognitively impaired across multiple domains, and 16% were moderately-severely impaired. Deficits in memory and attention were most prevalent, while impairments in inhibitory control/processing speed and cognitive flexibility were also present but tended to be less severe. Developmental and historical factors (premorbid intellectual functioning, neurological soft signs, earlier exposure to and longer duration of homelessness or marginal housing), as well as current health risks (stimulant dependence and hepatitis C exposure), were associated with cognitive impairment.Conclusions: The strikingly high rate of cognitive impairment in marginally housed young adults represents a major public health concern and is likely to pose a significant barrier to treatment and rehabilitation. These results suggest that the pathway to cognitive impairment involves both developmental vulnerability and modifiable risk factors. This study highlights the need for early interventions that address cognitive impairment and risk factors in marginalized young people. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T07:48:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c2cc4c2b02b64774acc72dd76cc4a99b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T07:48:43Z |
| publishDate | 2019-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-c2cc4c2b02b64774acc72dd76cc4a99b2022-12-22T01:57:07ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652019-10-01710.3389/fpubh.2019.00270476679Cognitive Impairment in Marginally Housed Youth: Prevalence and Risk FactorsKristina Waclawik0Andrea A. Jones1Skye P. Barbic2Skye P. Barbic3Skye P. Barbic4Skye P. Barbic5Kristina M. Gicas6Tiffany A. O'Connor7Geoffrey N. Smith8Olga Leonova9Steve Mathias10Steve Mathias11Steve Mathias12Steve Mathias13Alasdair M. Barr14Ric M. Procyshyn15Donna J. Lang16Melissa L. Woodward17G. William MacEwan18G. William MacEwan19William J. Panenka20Aiko Yamamoto21William G. Honer22Allen E. Thornton23Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, CanadaDepartment of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaDepartment of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaDepartment of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaCentre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, Vancouver, BC, CanadaProvidence Health Care and Foundry, Vancouver, BC, CanadaDepartment of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, CanadaDepartment of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaDepartment of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaDepartment of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaCentre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, Vancouver, BC, CanadaProvidence Health Care and Foundry, Vancouver, BC, CanadaSt. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, CanadaDepartment of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaDepartment of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaDepartment of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaDepartment of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaDepartment of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaSt. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, CanadaDepartment of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaSt. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, CanadaDepartment of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, CanadaObjective: Homeless and marginally housed youth are particularly vulnerable members of society, and are known to experience numerous health problems, including psychiatric illness, substance use, and viral infection. Despite the presence of these risk factors for cognitive compromise, there is limited research on the cognitive functioning of homeless and marginally housed youth. The present study examines the degree and pattern of cognitive impairment and associations with key risk factors in a sample of marginally housed young adults.Method: Participants (N = 101) aged 20–29 years old were recruited from single-room occupancy hotels, and underwent cognitive, psychiatric, neurological, and serological assessments.Results: Forty percent of participants were identified as mildly cognitively impaired across multiple domains, and 16% were moderately-severely impaired. Deficits in memory and attention were most prevalent, while impairments in inhibitory control/processing speed and cognitive flexibility were also present but tended to be less severe. Developmental and historical factors (premorbid intellectual functioning, neurological soft signs, earlier exposure to and longer duration of homelessness or marginal housing), as well as current health risks (stimulant dependence and hepatitis C exposure), were associated with cognitive impairment.Conclusions: The strikingly high rate of cognitive impairment in marginally housed young adults represents a major public health concern and is likely to pose a significant barrier to treatment and rehabilitation. These results suggest that the pathway to cognitive impairment involves both developmental vulnerability and modifiable risk factors. This study highlights the need for early interventions that address cognitive impairment and risk factors in marginalized young people.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00270/fullcognitionyouthyoung adultsmarginalizationhomelesspremorbid IQ |
| spellingShingle | Kristina Waclawik Andrea A. Jones Skye P. Barbic Skye P. Barbic Skye P. Barbic Skye P. Barbic Kristina M. Gicas Tiffany A. O'Connor Geoffrey N. Smith Olga Leonova Steve Mathias Steve Mathias Steve Mathias Steve Mathias Alasdair M. Barr Ric M. Procyshyn Donna J. Lang Melissa L. Woodward G. William MacEwan G. William MacEwan William J. Panenka Aiko Yamamoto William G. Honer Allen E. Thornton Cognitive Impairment in Marginally Housed Youth: Prevalence and Risk Factors Frontiers in Public Health cognition youth young adults marginalization homeless premorbid IQ |
| title | Cognitive Impairment in Marginally Housed Youth: Prevalence and Risk Factors |
| title_full | Cognitive Impairment in Marginally Housed Youth: Prevalence and Risk Factors |
| title_fullStr | Cognitive Impairment in Marginally Housed Youth: Prevalence and Risk Factors |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cognitive Impairment in Marginally Housed Youth: Prevalence and Risk Factors |
| title_short | Cognitive Impairment in Marginally Housed Youth: Prevalence and Risk Factors |
| title_sort | cognitive impairment in marginally housed youth prevalence and risk factors |
| topic | cognition youth young adults marginalization homeless premorbid IQ |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00270/full |
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