Meaningful Activity and Boredom in the Transition from Homelessness: Two Narratives

Abstract

Background. Few studies have examined boredom and meaningful activity during the transition from homeless to housed, and those that exist are retrospective. Purpose. To prospectively examine how meaningful activities and boredom are experienced during the process of leaving homelessness. Method. Using a mixed-methods case study design, we interviewed 13 homeless participants at baseline using a 92-item quantitative interview, followed by a semi-structured qualitative interview. Two participants were located six months later and were interviewed again using the same protocol. Quantitative data are presented descriptively. Qualitative data were analyzed using narrative analysis. Findings. Qualitative data revealed two unique narratives of boredom and meaningful activity engagement in the transition from homeless to housed, with opportunities for engagement in meaningful activity limited largely by the social and housing environments in which both participants were situated. Quantitative data indicates that boredom and meaningful activity changed little before and after homelessness. At both baseline and follow-up, boredom scores for both participants were comparable to a sample of participants who were exposed to a “boredom” condition in an experimental study ( Hunter, Dyer, Cribbie, & Eastwood, 2016 ). Implications. Formerly homeless persons may struggle to engage in meaningful activity, and boredom may negatively affect mental well-being. Research with larger samples is needed.

“I can’t remember the last time I was comfortable about being home”: lived experience perspectives on thriving following homelessness

“…Community integration has been a challenging outcome to target following homelessness (C. A. Marshall et al, 2020 ) likely due to the stigma of mental illness, substance use disorder and/or homelessness faced by this population (Dej, 2020 ; Forchuk & Csiernik, 2021 ). Further, participants in this study and in previous research have identified that meaningful activity engagement is a frequent challenge following homelessness (C. A. Marshall et al, 2018 , 2020 ; Marshall, Gewurtz, et al, 2022 ), and a pathway to community integration (C. A. Marshall et al, 2022 , 2022 ). Service providers may consider finding ways of intentionally targeting these constructs in the development of goals with persons who experience homelessness and integrate outcome measurement strategies that can evaluate the effectiveness of these approaches.…”

“…Recent research suggests that many individuals living with mental illness and/or substance use difficulties have a variety of ongoing unmet psychosocial needs after leaving homelessness, even when they receive HF as an intervention. These include ongoing poverty (Gaetz et al, 2016 ), low levels of community integration (Raphael-Greenfield & Gutman, 2015 ), high levels of substance use (Somers et al, 2015 ), ongoing symptoms of mental illness (Gaetz et al, 2016 ), low levels of engagement in meaningful activity (C. A. Marshall et al, 2018 , 2020 ), and food insecurity (Parpouchi et al, 2016 ). Systems that allow for poor adherence to the HF model, that are poorly integrated, that do not adequately account for consumer choice (Oudshoorn, Smith-Carrier, et al, 2021 ), or that target the security and maintenance of a tenancy as a primary indicator of program effectiveness, may contribute to these outcomes.…”

Effectiveness of employment‐based interventions for persons experiencing homelessness: A systematic review

“…Further, living in extreme poverty in a high‐income country is likely to limit the extent to which a person can compete for employment positions against housed individuals due to a lack of necessary clothing, places to perform adequate self‐care and travel funds to attend job interviews. If a person does secure employment during homelessness, the need to engage in activities to fulfil one's basic needs for food and shelter, combined with the hours of shelters, drop‐in centres and meal programs typically impair their ability to sustain employment over time (Marshall et al, 2017; Marshall, Keogh‐Lim, et al, 2020). Stigma associated with mental illness, substance use disorder, and homelessness are also likely barriers to participating in employment both while a person is attempting to secure a job, and after attaining an employment role (Belcher & DeForge, 2012).…”

“…Employment gives purpose in life by providing an opportunity for meaningful time use, something that is frequently denied to individuals during and following homelessness (Marshall, Keogh‐Lim, et al, 2020; Marshall, Oudshoorn, et al, 2021; Marshall, Phillips, et al, 2021). The high rates of mental illness among persons who experience homelessness (Fazel et al, 2014; Hossain et al, 2020) coupled with evidence associating increased participation in meaningful activity with enhanced psychosocial well‐being (Marshall, Davidson, et al, 2019; Marshall, Roy, et al, 2019) emphasises the particular importance of employment in the lives of this population.…”

“…Employment is an important goal for many individuals who experience homelessness and may be a key pathway to community integration and housing stability following homelessness (Chinchilla, 2018; Chinchilla, Gabrielian, Glasmeier, & Green, 2019; Chinchilla, Gabrielian, Hellemann, et al, 2019; Marshall, Keogh‐Lim, et al, 2020; Tiderington et al, 2020). Multiple studies have identified that individuals who experience homelessness express the desire to engage in employment yet struggle to find and sustain a job (Erlenbusch et al, 2010; Huffman et al, 2021; Poremski et al, 2015; Tiderington et al, 2020).…”