Disappearing acts: The social networks of formerly homeless individuals with co-occurring disorders

Abstract

Studies of the social lives of men and women living with co-occurring disorders (substance abuse and serious mental illness) suggest that social networks critically influence recovery. In this paper, we examine some of the reasons that the social networks of individuals with co-occurring disorders are small, and the impact of small networks for this population. Using a social capital framework with cross-case analysis, we analyze 72 in-depth qualitative interviews with 39 formerly homeless mentally ill men and women who were substance abusers. All were participants in the New York Services Study (HYSS), a federally funded study of mentally ill adults in New York City. The patterns suggest that networks shrunk because 1) social network members died prematurely, 2) study participants withdrew or pushed others away, and 3) friends and family members faced so many obstacles of their own that they could not provide resources for the study participants. We suggest that as networks diminished, some participants responded by attempting to rebuild their networks, even if the networks provided negative social capital, and others isolated themselves socially to escape the pressures and disappointments of interaction. KeywordsUSA; New York Services Study (NYSS); social capital; social networks; co-occurring disorders; mental illness; homeless; substance abuse The role of family and friends for individuals with co-occurring disorders (substance abuse and serious mental illness) in recovery is complex and often ambiguous. While close friends and family members can forge ties that produce social capital in the form of significant financial, emotional, and in-kind support to individuals with co-occurring disorders, they can also pose specific problems. Studies of the social lives of co-morbid individuals suggest that social support from family and friends can decrease symptomatology

Exploring the boundaries of public space in the urban north

“…These efforts are characterized in the media as 'clearing out homeless camps' (Shinohara 2011) and 'tackling chronic inebriates' (Caldwell 2014). Classification of homeless people as 'inebriates', 'addicts', and 'mentally ill' allows blame to fall on the individual, as opposed to the structural inequities that lead to entrenched poverty and homelessness in the first place (Hawkins and Abrams 2007). Victim blaming shifts the political discourse from shared responsibility to individual accountability, and pushes people experiencing homelessness further into the social and geographical margins of city space.…”

Not Getting By: Poverty Management and Homelessness in Miami

“…For persons who do become homeless, social capital can affect one's ability to transition back into a stable and housed living situation (Bassuk and Rosenberg 1988;Bassuk et al 1997;Eyrich, Pollio, and North 2003;Hawkins and Abrams 2007;Hopper 2003;Irwin et al 2008;National Health Care for the Homeless Council 2003;Rossi 1989;Shinn, Knickman, and Weitzman 1991;Wright 2009;Zugazaga 2008). Most people who find themselves near homelessness can turn to family and friends for help.…”

“…Social capital can help contribute to, or mitigate, homelessness (Bassuk and Rosenberg 1988;Bassuk et al 1997;Eyrich, Pollio, and North 2003;Hawkins and Abrams 2007;Hopper 2003;Irwin et al 2008;National Health Care for the Homeless Council 2003;Rossi 1989;Shinn, Knickman, and Weitzman 1991;Wright 2009;Zugazaga 2008). In this section I examine the literature which focuses specifically on social capital and homelessness, including research on the role of social and kinship networks in preventing homelessness; the phenomenon of people "using up" their social capital; and the function of social networks and capital for persons once they become homeless.…”

“…Once a family's patience and capacity for help is stretched to the limit, the individual may be forced into other friends' homes, flophouses, hotels, and eventually shelters and streets. Hawkins and Abrams' (Hawkins and Abrams 2007) study of the social networks of homeless persons suffering from co-occurring disorders of mental illness and addiction found that study participants had small networks to begin with, made more complicated by years of relationships strained by drugs, acting out, and continued need, so that the "pushes and pulls are hard to disentangle" (pg. 2037).…”

“…(Bassuk and Rosenberg 1988;Bassuk et al 1997;Eyrich, Pollio, and North 2003;Hawkins and Abrams 2007;Hopper 2003;Irwin et al 2008;National Health Care for the Homeless Council 2003;Rossi 1989;Shinn, Knickman, and Weitzman 1991;Wright, Rubin, and Devine 1998;Wright 2009;Zugazaga 2008). In this section I will examine how the homeless and precariously housed men interviewed for this study discussed their own access to support from family and friends, including how this varies between the racial and ethnic groups, as well as according to housing status.…”