Change patterns of homeless individuals with mental illness: a multiple case study

Area of Science:

• Mental Health
• Social Work
• Housing Studies

Background:

• Homelessness and mental illness are significant public health challenges.
• Effective interventions are needed to improve housing retention and community reintegration for this population.

Observation:

• This study examined the change trajectories of four homeless men with mental illness undergoing a manualized life skills intervention.
• Readiness-to-change, life skills knowledge, and trauma symptoms were assessed at multiple time points.
• Cluster analysis revealed two distinct patterns of readiness-to-change: 'engaged' and 'pre-engaged'.

Findings:

• Individual change is non-linear, and initial readiness to change is not a prerequisite for benefiting from the intervention.
• Varied change patterns were observed among participants, highlighting the complexity of individual recovery journeys.
• The intervention demonstrated success in improving housing stability and facilitating community reintegration.

Implications:

• Interventions should be flexible to accommodate diverse individual change processes.
• Focusing solely on baseline readiness may overlook potential beneficiaries.
• Contextual understanding of individual lives is crucial for supporting successful outcomes in housing and reintegration programs.