Social support and housing transitions among homeless adults with serious mental illness and substance use disorders.

Abstract

Objective Research suggests that social supports are associated with housing retention among adults who have experienced homelessness. Yet, we know very little about the social support context in consumers find and retain housing. We examined the ways and identified the junctures in which consumers' skills and deficits in accessing and mobilizing social supports influenced their longitudinal housing status. Methods We performed semi-structured qualitative interviews with VA Greater Los Angeles consumers (n=19) with serious mental illness (SMI), substance use disorders (SUD), and a history of homelessness; interviews explored associations between longitudinal housing status (categorized as: stable, independent housing; sheltered housing, continually engaged in structured housing programs; and unstable housing) and social supports. We compared data from consumers in these three mutually exclusive categories. Results All participants described social support as important for finding and maintaining housing. However, participants used formal (provider/case managers) and informal (family/friends) supports in different ways. Participants in stable housing relied on formal and informal supports to obtain/maintain housing. Participants in sheltered housing primarily used formal supports, e.g., case management staff. Unstably housed participants used formal and informal supports, but some of these relationships were superficial or of negative valence. Interpersonal problems were prevalent across longitudinal housing status categories. Conclusions and Implications for Practice Social context, including patterns of formal and informal support, was associated with participants' longitudinal housing status. Within interventions to end homelessness, these findings suggest the value of future research to identify, tailor, and implement practices that can help consumers improve their social resources.

Social networks of unaccompanied women experiencing homelessness

“…In terms of support, most women discussed using social networks to cope with their circumstances. Supporting earlier findings of various homeless populations (e.g., Gabrielian et al, 2016;Thompson et al, 2004), study participants relied on others, particularly family members, for material and, to a lesser extent, emotional survival, including connection to shelter, transportation, services, and financial support. Although women did not have access to networks for housing, several women were connected to housed individuals who provided essentials such as job leads or cell phones.…”

“…Participants may not be representative of other women residing in the housing programs. Similar to other research examining homelessness (e.g., Gabrielian et al, 2016;Long, 2015;Thompson et al, 2004), the sample is relatively small.…”

“…In addition, strong social networks can lead to secure housing. In a longitudinal study of 19 male veterans experiencing homelessness, men consistently used their social networks to navigate housing services, gain housing, and retain housing (Gabrielian, Young, Greenberg, & Bromley, 2016). Thompson, Pollio, Eyrich, Bradbury, and North (2004) also found positive social support and social relationships might play a key role in establishing housing stability among adults experiencing homelessness.…”

“Life Starts for Me Again.” The Social Impact of Psychology on Programs for Homeless People: Solidarity Networks for the Effectiveness of Interventions

“…Knight (2017) reported the use of group work to promote resilience among especially vulnerable groups of homeless people, such as homeless mothers, which facilitated sharing challenges, receiving support, and revealing participants' strengths, which encouraged them to persevere to improve the situation they and their children were facing. For homeless adults with mental illness and substance use disorders, social support (either formal or informal) has been identified to be important for finding and maintaining housing (Gabrielian et al, 2018), and this has consequently highlighted the importance of developing practices that improve the social resources of homeless people. Social networks have also been related to the higher or lower risk for alcohol and other drugs consumption and have been the object of interventions that improve readiness to change the use of alcohol and other drugs and abstinence self-efficacy (Kennedy et al, 2017).…”

Variables Asociadas Al Funcionamiento Social en Usuarios De Hogares Y Residencias Protegidas

“…El apoyo social dentro del dispositivo se asocia a mayor estabilidad sintomatológica y permanencia en la comunidad de los usuarios (13,14) y las personas que viven en alojamientos protegidos mejoran sus relaciones sociales y encuentran apoyo afectivo e instrumental en su interior (15) . Así, el cuidador del alojamiento es una persona fundamental para los usuarios, pues un apoyo activo se asocia a un mejor funcionamiento de los residentes en la comunidad, mientras que la distancia social entre el personal y los residentes se asocia con un menor nivel de integración (16) .…”