Stories from the streets: people’s experiences of homelessness

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  This is a narrative research study examining how people talk about their experiences of homelessness. Eight people experiencing homelessness were interviewed. They were each asked to tell their stories of homelessness. The research focused upon how participants’ experiences have affected their identity claims and their mental health.
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  The qualitative data were thematically analysed and the following themes are reported: identity, family breakdown, rejection and stigma, illicit substances and hope.
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  People’s identities have been affected by their experiences, and because of the trauma and indignity of homelessness, their identities have had to be reshaped. Experiences of homelessness negatively affect people’s sense of identity to destructive proportions.
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  Experiences of homelessness may have profound effects upon people’s sense of identity both personally and socially. Helping people to find appropriate shelter must be a main priority for those working with people who are homeless as warmth and safety are basic human needs. Mental health nurses also need to address those factors that affect individual identity, such as loss of social role and loss of belonging. By working with people to help them to access education and employment, we are also helping them to improve the quality of their lives, support their mental health, helping to improve their status, social networks, personal identity and role. Nurses need to work with homeless people with warm human acceptance and understanding.

This study explores how people speak about their experiences of homelessness, and how these experiences have affected their identity claims and their mental health. The mental health of the homeless population is a growing concern for the UK government and non-governmental agencies. There is however, little research looking at the mental health needs of homeless people and their experiences. For this study, a qualitative, narrative approach was used. Eight people were interviewed who described themselves as homeless. The subsequent data were analysed through a narrative analysis process paying particular attention to how people construct their identities. Although each participant is homeless, they speak about their experiences very differently. People’s identities have been affected by their experiences, and because of the trauma and indignity of homelessness, their identities have had to be reshaped. While it might be considered normal for people’s identities to relate to families and occupation, homeless people construct identities around illness, drugs and exclusion. Experiences of homelessness negatively affect people’s sense of identity to destructive proportions. Nevertheless, participants demonstrate a way of coping by forming strong opinions about policy and service provision.