Effect of Portable Rent Subsidies and Mentorship on Socioeconomic Inclusion for Young People Exiting Homelessness: A Community-Based Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Thulien NS
PROVIDER: S-EPMC9614573 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Effect of Portable Rent Subsidies and Mentorship on Socioeconomic Inclusion for Young People Exiting Homelessness: A Community-Based Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial.
Thulien Naomi S NS Amiri Alexandra A Hwang Stephen W SW Kozloff Nicole N Wang Andrea A Akdikmen Alex A Roglich Julia J Nisenbaum Rosane R
JAMA network open 20221003 10
<h4>Importance</h4>There have been no published randomized clinical trials with a primary outcome of socioeconomic inclusion for young people who have experienced homelessness.<h4>Objective</h4>To explore whether young people exiting homelessness who received rent subsidies and adult mentorship experienced more socioeconomic inclusion relative to young people who received only rent subsidies.<h4>Design, setting, and participants</h4>This was a convergent mixed-methods, unblinded, 2-group, parall ...[more]
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Project description:BackgroundLongitudinal studies examining the life trajectories of young people after they have exited homelessness have identified concerns with persistent social and economic exclusion, struggles to shake off identities of homelessness, and housing instability. This pilot study sought to explore the feasibility of improving socioeconomic inclusion outcomes by bolstering identity capital (sense of purpose and control, self-efficacy and self-esteem) among young people who had experienced homelessness.MethodsNineteen individuals (aged 18-26) who had transitioned out of homelessness within the past three years participated in a six-week, six-session program focused on building identity capital. The study employed a mixed method prospective cohort hybrid design with an intervention group (Group One) and a delayed intervention comparison group (Group Two). Participants were interviewed every three months until nine months post-intervention.ResultsNone of the youth who began the intervention dropped out of the program, with the exception of one participant who moved across the country and was unable to continue. Immediately after participating in the intervention, Group One had statistically significant improvements (p < .05) and large to very large effect sizes in self-esteem (d = 1.16) and physical community integration (d = 1.79) compared to changes in Group Two over the same period, which had not yet begun the intervention. In the pooled analysis, small to moderate effect sizes in hopelessness, physical community integration, and self-esteem were observed at all post-intervention time points. Notably, at six- and nine-months post-intervention, statistically significant improvements (p < .05) and moderate effect sizes in hopelessness (d = -0.73 and d = -0.60 respectively) and self-esteem (d = 0.71 and d = 0.53 respectively) were observed. Youth shared they appreciated the normalizing (vs. pathologizing) of strategies they needed to learn and spoke of the importance of framing new skills as something one needs "to have a better life" vs. "to get better."ConclusionsThese early findings signal that targeting identity capital is feasible and may be a promising approach to incorporate into a more complex intervention that includes housing, education, and employment supports to help youth transition out of homelessness. Future research could build on these findings through a sufficiently powered randomized controlled trial.
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Project description:Homelessness remains a societal problem. Compiled evidence of predictors for becoming homeless and exiting homelessness might be used to inform policy-makers and practitioners in their work to reduce homeless-related problems. We examined individual-level predictors for becoming homeless and exiting homelessness by searching PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science up to January 2018. Becoming homeless and exiting homelessness were the outcomes. Observational studies with comparison groups from high-income countries were included. The Newcastle Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale was used for bias assessment. Random effects models were used to calculate pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We included 116 independent studies of risk factors for becoming homeless and 18 for exiting homelessness. We found evidence of adverse life events as risk factors for homelessness, e.g., physical abuse (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.8-4.4) and foster care experiences (3.7, 1.9-7.3). History of incarceration (3.6, 1.3-10.4), suicide attempt (3.6, 2.1-6.3), and psychiatric problems, especially drug use problems (2.9, 1.5-5.1), were associated with increased risk of homelessness. The heterogeneity was substantial in most analyses (I2 > 90%). Female sex (1.5, 1.1-1.9; I2 = 69%) and having a partner (1.7, 1.3-2.1; I2 = 40%) predicted higher chances whereas relationship problems (0.6, 0.5-0.8), psychotic disorders (0.4, 0.2-0.8; I2 = 0%), and drug use problems (0.7, 0.6-0.9; I2 = 0%) reduced the chances for exiting homelessness. In conclusion, sociodemographic factors, adverse life events, criminal behaviour, and psychiatric problems were individual-level predictors for becoming homeless and/or exiting homelessness. Focus on individual-level vulnerabilities and early intervention is needed. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42014013119 .
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Project description:BackgroundAlthough the risk factors associated with young people entering and becoming entrenched in street life have been thoroughly investigated, peer-reviewed evidence is scarce to nonexistent for rigorous interventions targeting social integration outcomes for young people who have experienced homelessness. From the limited research that has been done, emerging evidence signals that, although structural supports such as subsidized housing and social service providers are important, these resources alone are insufficient to help young people integrate into the mainstream society.ObjectiveThe overarching aim of this study is to assess whether and how rent subsidies and mentorship influence social integration outcomes for formerly homeless young people living in market rent housing in 3 Canadian cities. The primary outcome measures for this study are community integration (psychological and physical) and self-esteem at 18 months. Secondary outcomes include social connectedness, hope, and academic and vocational participation at 18 months. Exploratory outcomes include income, perceived housing quality, engulfment, psychiatric symptoms, and participant perspectives of intervention barriers and facilitators.MethodsThis is a convergent mixed methods, open-label, 2-arm parallel randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 1:1 allocation embedded within a community-based participatory action research (CBPAR) framework. The intervention will provide 24 young people (aged 16-26 years), who have transitioned out of homelessness and into market rent housing within the past year, with rent subsidies for 24 months. Half of the young people will also be randomly assigned an adult mentor who has been recruited and screened by 1 of our 3 community partners. Data collection will occur every 6 months, and participants will be followed for 30 months.ResultsEthical approval for this study has been obtained from the Providence, St Joseph's, and St Michael's Healthcare Research Ethics Board (number 18-251). Enrollment took place from April 2019 to September 2019. Preliminary analysis of the baseline quantitative and qualitative data is underway.ConclusionsThis pilot RCT will be the first to test the impact of economic and social support on meaningful social integration for formerly homeless young people living in market rent housing. We believe that the mixed methods design will illuminate important contextual factors that must be considered if the intervention is to be scaled up and replicated elsewhere. Importantly, the CBPAR framework will incorporate the perspectives of the community, including formerly homeless young people, who are in the best position to determine what might work best in the context of their lives.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov NCT03779204; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03779204.International registered report identifier (irrid)DERR1-10.2196/15557.
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Project description:BackgroundAn inclusive academic environment is pivotal to ensure student well-being and a strong sense of belonging and authenticity. Specific attention for an inclusive learning environment is particularly important during a student's transition to higher education. At Utrecht University's Medical School, explorative interviews with students from minority groups indicated they did not always feel included during the orientation programme of their academic education. We, therefore, developed a bias awareness training with theoretical and practical components on diversity and inclusion for peer-mentors who are assigned to each first-year student at the start of university.MethodsAt the end of the orientation programme, we investigated the effectiveness of the training for two consecutive years using two measurements. Firstly, we investigated the behavioural changes in the peer-mentors through a (self-reporting) questionnaire. Additionally, we measured the perceived inclusion of the first-year students, divided into belonging and authenticity, using a validated questionnaire.ResultsOur results show that peer-mentors found the training useful and indicated it enabled them to create an inclusive atmosphere. Overall, students experienced a high level of inclusion during the orientation programme. After the first year, the bias training was adjusted based on the evaluations. This had a positive effect, as mentors felt they were significantly more able to provide an inclusive orientation in the second year of this study. In line with this, students experienced an increased level of authenticity specifically due to the peer-mentor in the second year as compared to the first.ConclusionsWe conclude that training peer-mentors is an effective way to increase awareness and to ensure an inclusive atmosphere during the start of higher education.
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Project description:The world of medicine is in a state of flux with major and substantive changes in its educational model. Students, residents, and junior attendings can no longer rely entirely on experiential development through clinical immersion. Instead, to attain similar levels of knowledge, technique, and situational comfort, there must be innovations in medical education that take advantage of the experience of mentors. Mentoring has been a part of medicine and surgery since the days of apprenticeship. Mentors must now teach more basic medicine than ever before and adapt to changes in the structure of medical education such as the use of simulation, yet still continue to foster career development among trainees and junior colleagues. For mentoring to succeed and benefit mentees, it must be supported. This patronage starts with each local university or hospital system but eventually must permeate the greater medical culture.
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Project description:BackgroundCigarette smoking is much more prevalent among young people experiencing homelessness than in the general population of adolescents and young adults. Although many young homeless smokers are motivated to quit, there are no empirically-evaluated smoking cessation programs for this population. It is important that any such program address the factors known to be associated with quitting-related outcomes among homeless young people, to provide ongoing support in a way that accommodates the mobility of this population, and does not rely on scarce service provider resources for its delivery. The objective of this project is to develop and pilot test a text messaging-based intervention (TMI), as an adjunct to brief cessation counseling and provision of nicotine patches, to help homeless young people who want to quit smoking.Methods/designThis pilot study will utilize a cluster cross-over randomized controlled design with up to 80 current smokers who desire to quit and are recruited from three drop-in centers serving young people experiencing homelessness in the Los Angeles area. All participants will be provided with a minimum standard of care: a 30-min group-based smoking cessation counseling session and free nicotine replacement. Half of these smokers will then also receive the TMI, as an adjunct to this standard care, which will provide 6 weeks of ongoing support for quitting. This support includes continued and more intensive education regarding nicotine dependence, quitting smoking, and relapse; does not require additional agency resources; can be available "on demand" to users; and includes features to personalize the quitting experience. This study will investigate whether receiving the TMI adjunct to standard smoking cessation care results in greater reductions in cigarette smoking compared to standard care alone over a 3-month period.DiscussionThis study has the potential to address an important gap in the clinical research literature on cigarette smoking cessation and provide empirical support for using a TMI to provide ongoing assistance and support for quitting among young smokers experiencing homelessness. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT03874585. Registered March 14, 2019, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT03874585.
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