Search

Most homeless young people have experienced multiple adversities, with potential implications for the development of Executive Functions (EFs), higher-order cognitive processes important for adaptation. EFs have been identified as putative contributors to the capacity to exit homelessness, however, little research has investigated EFs in homeless young people. To address gaps in current knowledge, this study compared executive function performance between homeless and housed young people. Relationships between EFs and short-term housing outcomes were also explored. Sixty-eight homeless young people (16–19 years) and 37 age-matched housed young people participated in this study. Computerized EF tasks spanned the domains of working memory, set shifting/flexibility, planning, impulsivity/risky decision making, selective attention/inhibition, and verbal fluency. Homeless young people demonstrated worse performance than housed youth on several EF tasks, particularly working memory and impulsivity/risky decision making. Working memory predicted progression into more independent accommodation; those with longer working memory spans were twice as likely to have progressed to more independent housing rather than maintained their current housing status after six months. Poorer EFs are associated with youth homelessness and also with an individual's ability to progress towards independence. As such, EFs should not continue to be overlooked by researchers and service providers. Emerging adulthood, as a sensitive period for EF development, is an opportune time for intervention to increase the likelihood of positive housing outcomes in homeless young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young people who have experienced homelessness, foster care, or poverty are among the most disadvantaged in society. This review examines whether young people who have these experiences differ from their non-disadvantaged peers with respect to their cognitive skills and abilities, and whether cognitive profiles differ between these three groups. Three electronic databases were systematically searched for articles published between 1 January 1995 and 1 February 2015 on cognitive functioning among young people aged 15 to 24 years who have experienced homelessness, foster care, or poverty. Articles were screened using pre-determined inclusion criteria, then the data were extracted, and its quality assessed. A total of 31 studies were included. Compared to non-disadvantaged youth or published norms, cognitive performance was generally found to be impaired in young people who had experienced homelessness, foster care, or poverty. A common area of difficulty across all groups is working memory. General cognitive functioning, attention, and executive function deficits are shared by the homeless and poverty groups. Creativity emerges as a potential strength for homeless young people. The cognitive functioning of young people with experiences of impermanent housing and poverty has been relatively neglected and more research is needed to further establish cognitive profiles and replicate the findings reviewed here. As some aspects of cognitive functioning may show improvement with training, these could represent a target for intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Presents abstracts of articles which appeared in the February 2002 issue of the 'Journal of Planning Literature.' 'Lives Lived and Lives Told: Biographies of Geography's Quantitative Revolution'; 'Medieval Towns With Grid Plan and Central Marketplace in East-Central Europe: Origins and Diffusion in the Early Thirteenth Century'; 'Shaping the Planning Profession of the Future: The Role of Planning Education.'