More than a house: Women's recovery from homelessness in Australia.

Recovery from homelessness for women is often a long, complex and highly individualised journey. This study investigated women's experiences of exiting homelessness and examined the factors that influenced recovery. The qualitative interpretive study involved auto-driven photo elicitation and in-depth interviews with 11 women who had previously been homeless. It took place in Australia between August 2018 and August 2019. Women took photographs that represented their experiences of exiting homelessness to guide discussion during interviews. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings indicate that recovery from homelessness involves more than becoming housed. Recovery from homelessness is the overarching theme being presented, described using five subthemes: Finding the right house, Making a house a home, Connection, Building confidence and Helping others. Housing was only the starting point for recovery from homelessness for women. The women drew on their own self determination to create factors necessary for recovery from the experience of homelessness. We conclude that ongoing support is necessary to empower and assist women recovering from the traumatic experiences of homelessness. Trauma-informed care offers service providers a framework for supporting women who have lived through homelessness. Services can draw on this framework to provide support beyond the point of securing a house and assist women to create a home environment, build confidence in themselves and form connections to their community as they transition out of homelessness.

A qualitative exploration of women's resilience in the face of homelessness.

The aim of this study was to examine the experiential perspectives of women becoming and experiencing homelessness. Situated in the qualitative interpretative tradition, data were collected using auto-driven photo-elicitation and in-depth face-to-face interviews. Eleven Australian women used photographs that represented their experiences of being homeless to guide their interview discussion. The findings revealed that homelessness for women is a period often preceded by a series of adverse incidents in their lives, characterised by progressive resilience building in the face of trauma, finding hope and building strength to work towards exiting homelessness. After becoming homeless, five stages of resilience transition emerged: The trauma of homelessness, Finding hope and surviving, Finding help, Finding connection and Taking control. Women experiencing homelessness are resilient and capable of enacting competence and autonomy in seeking help to exit homelessness. Changes to service delivery are recommended to improve trauma-informed, person-centred housing and social services that are integrated and easy to navigate.

Combining Self-Determination Theory and Photo-Elicitation to Understand the Experiences of Homeless Women.

Homelessness is a complex and gendered experience. To understand this complexity, novel theoretical frameworks and appropriate research methods are required. Most women living without homes have experienced some form of abuse or mental health issues before becoming, being or exiting homelessness and there is high prevalence of trauma in this vulnerable population. Researchers investigating women's homelessness need to ensure the research process is not retraumatising. This paper proposes a theoretical framework that combines self-determination theory (SDT) and photo-elicitation to support and guide research conducted with women who are at risk of negative effects of power imbalances and retraumatisation in research. The framework offers new opportunities to sensitively study women's homelessness by leveraging a strengths-based premise and empowering procedures to increase women's control in the research process. Embedding this method within the SDT research framework repositions women from objects of research to being competent, autonomous, active and empowered agents in the research process.

The Unbreakable Bond: The Mental Health Benefits and Challenges of Pet Ownership for People Experiencing Homelessness.

Pet ownership provides a unique relationship that is beneficial to many aspects of the pet owner's life, including mental health and companionship. Mental health and social isolation are negatively impacted by homelessness, increasing the importance of the owner-pet bond during this time. However, this relationship is complicated by the need for pet owners to urgently find accommodation for themselves while still caring for their pets. This paper explores two firsthand narratives of the relationship between a person and their pets during a period of homelessness and subsequent search for accommodation. Both narratives highlight important aspects of the emotional bond between owner and pet: the concept of choosing pet over place; improved mental health and changed behaviours; and stressors or negative emotions of parental concern, separation anxiety and grief. These narratives emphasise the importance of supporting, expanding and creating new pet-friendly crisis and permanent accommodation options for pet owners experiencing homelessness.

Prevalence of Trauma in an Australian Inner City Mental Health Service Consumer Population.

This study examined the rates and types of trauma reported by consumers utilising an inner city mental health service in Sydney, Australia. The study also explored whether consumers felt that it had been helpful to be asked about their experience of trauma, whether they thought that these questions should be asked routinely and if they wanted to talk about these experiences. Ninety-one consumers from an inner city mental health service were assessed. Eighty-eight percent of the consumers assessed reported that they had experienced at least one traumatic event, while 79% reported having experienced two or more events. A majority of consumers identified that they thought it was helpful to be asked about trauma and that it should be part of an assessment. However, less than one-third of these consumers surveyed wanted to talk about the trauma at the time of assessment. Concerns that clinicians may have in regards to addressing trauma in mental health assessment are not matched by consumers' expressed beliefs on the issue.

Trauma-Informed Care and Practice: Practice Improvement Strategies in an Inpatient Mental Health Ward.

A growing body of evidence highlights that trauma is the single most significant predictor that an individual will need support from mental health services. Yet despite this association, mental health services have been slow to provide approaches to care and treatment that deal directly with trauma. Embedding the principles of trauma-informed care and practice (TICP) in acute inpatient ward practice can lead to practice improvement and cultural change over a number of areas. The current service evaluation highlights how these principles can inform practice and the positive affect this has on areas such as seclusion and restraint, therapeutic engagement, and ward routines. TICP complements recovery-focused models of care and promotes collaborative and empowering relationships in the inpatient setting. Embedding this approach in inpatient mental health units can lead to changes in professional practice and service provision that benefit service users. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 55(10), 34-38.].