Do people choose to be homeless? An existentially informed hermeneutic phenomenological analysis

Abstract

Purpose – Homeless populations are a politically contentious problem and researchers struggle to achieve a balanced approach. They place emphasis on sharply contrasting factors, such as; institutional structures, ideologies or individual dispositions and differences. Central questions remain unanswered, i.e., is homelessness an outcome of society’s failings related to housing shortages, or a personal choice, as in the status of “intentional homelessness?” The purpose of this paper is to set aside assumptions, to explore experiences of homelessness and psychosis. Design/methodology/approach – An existentially informed hermeneutic phenomenological analysis; exploring transcribed narratives from semi-structured interviews with three men. Findings – These participants started to wander as a spontaneous response to distressing life experiences. Without any plan they travelled to new locations living on the street. Being contained and treated against their will in the psychiatric system was another source of distress. They did not choose homelessness through a rational calculation of their best interests. They felt at odds with society, which did not protect them and failed to meet their needs. Research limitations/implications – In qualitative research, findings are not generalisable to other settings. Practical implications – Homeless services should be enhanced by psychological expertise along with more person-centred emphatic approaches; the authors of social policies should consider their philosophical assumptions. Social implications – Systemised mental healthcare does not solve complex problems; fails to meet needs. Originality/value – The analysis informs the design of further research, prompts practitioners to review their understandings and provides grounds for the rewriting of policies.

Coping amidst an assemblage of disadvantage: A qualitative metasynthesis of first‐person accounts of managing severe mental illness while homeless

“…As a result of the two-step quality appraisal process, two studies, Baldwin (1998) and Wharne (2015), were excluded due to low methodological rigour (i.e. <14 total RATS score).…”

“On being an auditory hallucination”: A reflection on theory, practice, existential philosophy, and hearing voices.

“…If her problems were understood to be social and cultural, rather than psychiatric, then we would avoid taking on a duty to meet her needs. Although it would be difficult to argue that Jennifer chose homelessness and joblessness, when the government fails to provide enough housing and employment, she would be understood as capable and therefore responsible for resolving her own problems (Wharne, 2015).…”

Choosing to be homeless? Persistent rough sleeping and the perverse incentives of social policy in England

“…This leads us to the question central to the present article of how far persistent rough sleepers make a deliberate choice to reject accommodation for which they should be held responsible. Offers of help may be rejected for reasons that need not express a desire to remain homeless, but may simply be a product of inadequate information that may be distorted by experience, mis-trust, doubts about capacity to overcome barriers, or even positive expressions of autonomy (Parsell and Parsell, 2012;Wharne, 2015;Christian et al, 2016). What has been called "chronic homelessness" or a "culture of homelessness" often entails choices essential to surviving life on the streets that have the effect of entrenching people in a street lifestyle (MacKnee and Mervyn, 2002;Ravenhill, 2008;Farrell, 2010).…”