this article presents findings from a qualitative study of 14 individuals residing in extended-stay hotels after housing displacement. Framed in ecosystems and structuration theory, the purpose of this study was to understand social service barriers experienced by help-seeking residents. participants were engaged in in-depth interviews and asked about challenges faced when they reached out for assistance to prepare for stable housing. reported barriers Terri Lewinson, phD, lmsW, assistant professor, school of social Work, Georgia state University.
Within the ranks of the homeless are individuals coping with substance addiction and/or chronic physical or mental disability. Their special needs often pose significant barriers to successfully re-integrate into society. For these individuals, simply securing a roof overhead may not be an adequate solution. Supportive housing combines housing with access to on-site social services to assist persons coping with disabling physical and behavioral health conditions. This study examined whether an association could be found between length of residency in supportive housing and subjective well-being. For the purposes of this study, subjective well-being was measured by length of sobriety, self-efficacy, and employment.
Background: This study examined the effectiveness of Stanford University's Chronic Disease Self-management Program (CDSMP) among men living with co-morbidities of chronic physical health disease and behavioral health disorders.
Methods:The study was conducted at a community-based, non-profit organization in partnership with a large suburban university. Two pilot studies were completed with the population of interest. Low-income adult males with behavioral health disorders were recruited to participate in the program provided by a local behavioral health agency. Facilitators trained in the CDSMP program administered it at the agency site, and participants attended weekly meetings. Descriptive data collected included health history, demographic information, and assessments of knowledge with the Chronic Disease Self-Efficacy Scale and the Chronic Disease Self-Management Questionnaire created by the Stanford Patient Education Research Center. Due to the small sample size, n=12, the Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to evaluate before and after differences in the sample.Results: For the participants, there were increases in overall activity, stretching activities, and equipment activities. Additionally, participants experienced a decrease in the number of days affected by poor physical or mental health. However, there was no significant increase in perceived self-efficacy, a factor in patient confidence and possibly compliance. Limitations included the small sample size, lack of a control group, and convenience sampling.
Conclusions:Various aspects of the program were helpful to some participants, but cultural factors made other areas less compatible for this population. A larger study, utilizing a comparison group, could generate data relevant to hypotheses based on these observations. By collecting qualitative data, focus groups could contribute to understanding the experiences and needs of the participants. Development of a curriculum for self-management of chronic disease with a focus on intercultural competence is presently of interest.
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