Dataset Information

Homelessness in autistic women: Defining the research agenda.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Current evidence suggests that autistic individuals are at high risk for becoming and remaining in a cycle of homelessness. Key risk factors for homelessness disproportionately affect autistic people; however, we have limited understanding of how to best support autistic individuals accessing services. This gap in the evidence base is particularly acute for autistic women.

Objective

As a first step to address this gap, we aimed to (1) map gaps in knowledge and practice; (2) identify priority areas for research and (3) develop recommendations for how to implement novel research and practice in this area.

Methods

We conducted a collaborative workshop with an interdisciplinary group of 26 stakeholders to address our aims. Stakeholders included autistic women with experience of homelessness, researchers, health professionals, NGO representatives, and service providers.

Results and recommendations

Two research priority areas were identified to map the prevalence and demographics of autistic women experiencing homelessness, and to delineate risk and protective factors for homelessness. Priority areas for improving provision of support included staff training to improve communication, awareness of autism and building trust with service providers, and recommendations for practical provision of support by services.

Conclusions

Future research is critical to increase our knowledge of the pathways leading to homelessness for autistic women, and barriers to engaging with homelessness and social services. We need to use this knowledge to develop new ways of delivering targeted and inclusive support for autistic women, which could prevent or shorten periods of homelessness.

SUBMITTER: Lockwood Estrin G

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9756367 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Homelessness in autistic women: Defining the research agenda.

Lockwood Estrin Georgia G Lockwood Estrin Georgia G Aseervatham Victoria V De Barros Clara M CM Chapple Tara T Churchard Alasdair A Harper Monique M Jones Emily Jh EJ Mandy William W Milner Victoria V O'Brien Sarah S Senju Atsushi A Smith Chloe C Smith Jonathan J

Women's health (London, England) 20220101

<h4>Background</h4>Current evidence suggests that autistic individuals are at high risk for becoming and remaining in a cycle of homelessness. Key risk factors for homelessness disproportionately affect autistic people; however, we have limited understanding of how to best support autistic individuals accessing services. This gap in the evidence base is particularly acute for autistic women.<h4>Objective</h4>As a first step to address this gap, we aimed to (1) map gaps in knowledge and practice; ...[more]

PMID: 36515431

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Project description:BackgroundDigital health innovations provide an opportunity to improve access to care, information, and quality of care during the perinatal period, a critical period of health for mothers and infants. However, research to develop perinatal digital health solutions needs to be informed by actual patient and health system needs in order to optimize implementation, adoption, and sustainability.ObjectiveOur aim was to co-design a research agenda with defined research priorities that reflected health system realities and patient needs.MethodsCo-design of the research agenda involved a series of activities: (1) review of the provincial Digital Health Strategy and Maternity Services Strategy to identify relevant health system priorities, (2) anonymous survey targeting perinatal care providers to ascertain their current use and perceived need for digital tools, (3) engagement meetings using human-centered design methods with multilingual patients who are currently or recently pregnant to understand their health experiences and needs, and (4) a workshop that brought together patients and other project partners to prioritize identified challenges and opportunities for perinatal digital health in a set of research questions. These questions were grouped into themes using a deductive analysis approach starting with current BC Digital Health Strategy guiding principles.ResultsBetween September 15, 2022, and August 31, 2023, we engaged with more than 150 perinatal health care providers, researchers, and health system stakeholders and a patient advisory group of women who were recently pregnant to understand the perceived needs and priorities for digital innovation in perinatal care in British Columbia, Canada. As a combined group, partners were able to define 12 priority research questions in 3 themes. The themes prioritized are digital innovation for (1) patient autonomy and support, (2) standardized educational resources for patients and providers, and (3) improved access to health information.ConclusionsOur research agenda highlights the needs for perinatal digital health research to support improvements in the quality of care in British Columbia. By using a human-centered design approach, we were able to co-design research priorities that are meaningful to patients and health system stakeholders. The identified priority research questions are merely a stepping stone in the research process and now need to be actioned by research teams and health systems partners.

Dataset Information

Homelessness in autistic women: Defining the research agenda.

Background

Objective

Methods

Results and recommendations

Conclusions

Publications

Homelessness in autistic women: Defining the research agenda.

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