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This exploratory study aimed to identify the dominant cultural narratives on homelessness in Hawai‘i—an area of the United States that has seen a precipitous increase in homelessness amid overall national decline. Because media is a primary way in which these narratives are created, solidified, and perpetuated, this study sought to understand the role the local media played in constructing homelessness narratives during this homelessness “crisis.” This study used thematic content analysis of a random sample of 648 articles of Hawai‘i media coverage between 2012 and 2017. The analysis found that media coverage of homelessness in Hawai‘i emphasized structural‐level causes and solutions, while simultaneously relying on stereotypes and stigmatizing characteristics. However, coverage became more complex over time and was open to revision based on new information. This study suggests that media could be a viable target of interventions seeking to produce healthy and accurate narratives.

Addressing mass incarceration in the United States will require criminal legal professionals to shift away from carceral punishment and toward alternative approaches to justice. Education on the physiological, social, and behavioral impacts of traumatic events (i.e., trauma education), especially when enhanced with messaging about the malleability of behavior (i.e., growth mindset intervention), may help promote this shift. We assessed the impact of trauma education alone and enhanced with a growth mindset intervention on 344 U.S.-based criminal legal professionals’ attitudes about the criminal legal system and perceptions of trauma-informed judicial practice, and assessed whether profession type moderated intervention impact. Compared with trauma education alone, mindset-enhanced trauma education led to increased perceived appropriateness of considering trauma in judicial decision-making (main effect) and greater support of alternative sentencing for nonviolent crimes among lawyers and judges (moderation effect). Although effects were small, findings support the enhancement of trauma education with growth mindset interventions.

In this multipart study, participants in a Housing First program on the Island of O'ahu conducted a Photovoice project involving participatory analysis to investigate the recovery process from homelessness several years after being housed. University researchers then conducted a secondary analysis of the Photovoice study content to expand on findings and examine the unique contributions of the different methods. Findings suggest that individuals who have experienced homelessness will likely need continued support, particularly social support and opportunities for community engagement, well after initial housing.Findings also suggests that a combination of iterative analytic methods that remain participatory may be most useful for examining lived experiences of individuals recovering from homelessness. The study represents a participatory investigation of recovery from homelessness, as well as a rigorous inquiry into the research methods best suited to investigate this lived experience.

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