Sense of community and well‐being are considered core tenets in the field of community psychology, acting as focal points for theory, research, and action. This integrative review synthesizes the empirical literature on sense of community and well‐being with respect to four research questions focused on the relationships between these variables, the methodologies used to study those relationships, and how future research might expand upon the current literature. A search of the available literature produced 30 articles that met the search criteria, based primarily on conceptualizations and measurement of both sense of community and hedonic and eudaimonic well‐being. This review suggests a general consensus across the literature of a positive relationship between sense of community and well‐being among both youth and adults in a variety of settings, and discusses the strengths and limitations of this area of research, pointing to the need for more nuanced, ecologically valid research that incorporates more qualitative and critical methodologies. We hope that this review can promote a more thorough understanding of how sense of community and individual well‐being relate to each other, and that ongoing research in this area can be a catalyst for action research and interventions that are applied to pressing contemporary issues as well as strengths‐based approaches focused on how to foster and support the well‐being of individuals within their community contexts.

Homeless youth are typically defined as a group of adolescents and young adults (ages 12-24) who do not have stable dwellings, but instead live on the streets, in shelters or abandoned buildings, or in other unstable situations (e.g., doubling up with friends). Given the myriad of hardships, stressors, and marginalization faced by youth as they navigate life on the streets, it is encouraging that researchers have begun examining wellbeing among youth experiencing homelessness. However, the few studies examining well-being among homeless youth have produced inconsistent results. Furthermore, little is known about the components of well-being that are both relevant to and valued by homeless youth, as well as which factors predict differences in well-being among youth. This study examined psychological well-being and its associations with demographic characteristics (race, gender, and sexual orientation), intrapersonal factors (mental health, optimism, and self-esteem), and social-contextual factors (social support, sense of community, and empowerment) among 100 homeless youth utilizing services in Portland, Oregon. Quantitative results indicated that the intrapersonal and social-contextual variables were all significantly associated with psychological well-being among homeless youth at the bivariate level. However, in a full hierarchical regression model containing all study variables, only self-esteem and psychological distress were significant predictors of well-being. Thematic analysis of qualitative data revealed 11 categories of factors that impact youth's well-being, including Self Care, Social Support, and Personal Outlook. Collectively, findings have practical implications for program development at homeless youth service centers while also informing future research in this area.

Homeless youth are adolescents and young adults who do not have stable dwellings but instead live on the streets, in shelters, or in other unstable situations. Although researchers have begun examining well‐being among this population, little is known about components of well‐being that are relevant to homeless youth or which factors predict differences in well‐being. This study examined psychological well‐being and its associations with demographic characteristics, intrapersonal factors (mental health, optimism, and self‐esteem), and social–contextual factors (social support, sense of community, and empowerment) among 100 youth experiencing homelessness. All of the intrapersonal and social–contextual variables were associated with well‐being at the bivariate level. In the full regression model, only self‐esteem and psychological distress remained significant. Findings inform future research and program development at homeless service centers.

Prior research with youth experiencing homelessness suggests that community experiences can play an important role in their resilience and well‐being. This literature suggests that a sense of community (SOC) and social support may be two key interpersonal factors related to the well‐being of this population. However, quantitative research exploring these relationships has resulted in inconsistent findings, which may be due to a lack of understanding regarding youth's definitions of and experiences with community. This study utilized semistructured qualitative interviews with 24 youth experiencing homelessness to explore their definitions of community, how it is important to them, what communities they are a part of, and how these communities contribute to their well‐being. Overall, findings suggest that (a) youth generally define community in ways that align with current theory on SOC, (b) youth view community as important, and (c) their experiences within community settings promote their overall well‐being in various ways. However, the findings also suggest that community is not always a positive experience for these youth. This study has implications for how to promote the well‐being of youth experiencing homelessness, as well as how SOC and social support may relate to the well‐being of this population.

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