‘On the Horizon’ Blog
The term “social isolation” has become part of our everyday dialogue during the COVID19 outbreak. Individuals have been asked by Public Health Officials to physically distance from one another and consequently, there have been growing conversations online about the emotional challenges of spending so much time alone. For homeless youth, social isolation is not a new experience.
Loss of income. Panic and uncertainty. Social isolation. Fear of serious illness. These are extremely stressful experiences for any person. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of Horizons for Youth’s residents are experiencing these stressors…while homeless. The potential mental health impact of this crisis on our residents is alarming.
In light of a 2016 study which found that 85.4% of homeless youth in Canada are experiencing a mental health crisis and 42% had attempted suicide at least once (Schwan et al, 2018) group environments like these send a message to the many HFY residents experiencing mental health challenges that they are not alone.
