Self-perceived health problems and unmet care needs of homeless people in the Netherlands : the need for pro-active integrated care

Verheul, Marieke; Laere, Igor van; Muijsenbergh, Maria van den; Genugten, Will Van

doi:10.18352/jsi.610

Cited by 6 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 12 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The need of integrating multidisciplinary care strategies for severely mentally ill people with interdependent care needs is generally admitted. Many authors demonstrated the relevance of interpersonal relationships and care coordination to meet care needs in this group (12,22,(54)(55)(56)(57)(58). Still, poor implementation of this knowledge into practice results in fragmented, siloed, care.…”

Section: Siloed Carementioning

confidence: 99%

A Comprehensive Assessment to Enable Recovery of the Homeless: The HOP-TR Study

Everdingen

Peerenboom²,

Velden

et al. 2021

Front. Public Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Homelessness is an increasing problem in Western European countries. In the Netherlands, policy reforms and austerity measures induced an urgent need for management information on local homeless citizens. Municipal authorities initiated cross-sectional reviews of Homeless Service (HS) users. The resulting Homeless People Treatment and Recovery (HOP-TR) study developed a health and needs assessment strategy over different domains to comprehensively assess individuals and care networks with the perspective on recovery.Methods: Dutch HS users were selected using a naturalistic meta-snowball sampling. Semi-structured interviews provided the primary data source. The interview content was partly derived from the InterRAI Community Mental Health questionnaire and the “Homelessness Supplement.” Using the raw interview data, algorithmic summary scores were computed and integrating clinical parameters assessed. The data describe health and needs in a rights-based, recovery-oriented frame of reference. The mental health approach is transdiagnostic. The positive health framework is used for structuring health and needs aspects in relation to the symptomatic (physical and mental health), social (daily living, social participation), and personal (quality of life, meaning) dimensions of recovery.Results: Recruitment (between 2015 and 2017) resulted in a saturated sample of 436 HS users in 16 facilities and seven cities. Most participants were long-term or intermittently homeless. The sample characteristics reveal the multi domain character of needs and the relevance of a broad, comprehensive approach. Local authorities used the reports to reflect and discuss needs, care provision, access, and network cooperation. These dialogs incited to improve the quality of care at various ecosystem levels.Discussion: This paper describes new recruitment strategies and data collections of comprehensive data domains, to improve our knowledge in the field of homelessness. Traditional epidemiological literature on homelessness is often domain specific and relies on administrative sources. The HOP-TR study uses an analytical epidemiological approach. It shifts the assessment focus from problem-centered marginalization processes toward a comprehensive, three-dimensional recovery-oriented vision of health. Different perspectives are integrated to explore the interaction of homeless people with care networks.

show abstract

Section: Siloed Carementioning

confidence: 99%

A Comprehensive Assessment to Enable Recovery of the Homeless: The HOP-TR Study

Everdingen

Peerenboom²,

Velden

et al. 2021

Front. Public Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…While everyone is at risk of contracting the virus, individuals with underlying health conditions or poor general health are at higher risk for severe outcomes (1). This is particularly relevant for people experiencing homelessness who suffer from worse health than the general population and are more susceptible to infections due to crowded shelters and poor hygiene facilities (2)(3)(4). In 2020, the Netherlands counted approximately 36,000 persons experiencing homelessness (5).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…People experiencing homelessness are particularly vulnerable to the economic and health consequences of the pandemic, as they live in extreme socioeconomic vulnerability and have limited opportunities to comply with COVID-19 preventive measures such as physical distancing or staying at home ( 12 , 13 ). The wellbeing of this group is intricately tied to their social circumstances, notably financial strain and feelings of isolation ( 4 ). Even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, persons experiencing homelessness in the Netherlands were already grappling with poor physical and mental health.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, persons experiencing homelessness in the Netherlands were already grappling with poor physical and mental health. Research conducted by Verheul revealed that 19% of the surveyed population rated their self-reported health as either poor or very poor ( 4 ). Furthermore, a significant majority (57%) expressed experiencing feelings of sadness.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The collateral damage of the COVID-19 pandemic on homeless people in the Netherlands; a qualitative study on the impact of health and care

van Loenen,

Sow,

van den Muijsenbergh

2024

Front. Med.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

IntroductionPeople experiencing homelessness, also in the Netherlands, experience poorer physical and mental health compared to the general population and suffer from unmet health needs that are strongly related to their unfavorable social situation. This makes them especially vulnerable to negative consequences of a public health emergency such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative study aims to provide insight into the experiences of people experiencing homelessness with the impact of the pandemic on their health and lives.MethodsWe performed semistructured interviews at 3 different times in the first 2 years of the pandemic including, respectively, 67, 55, and 53 persons. Interviews focused on their experienced mental and physical health, their experiences with the public health measures taken, and the care they received during the pandemic.ResultsIn each round of interviews, the self-reported mental health was lower than before. In the last round approximately half felt mentally unhealthy. Mental health was negatively impacted due to livelihood insecurity, loss of social contact and poor accessibility to social and medical care. Twenty-four hour shelter locations with smaller dormitories had a positive impact on mental health.Conclusion and recommendationsMost preventive measures taken during the pandemic negatively impacted the mental health of people experiencing homelessness but some improved their health. We recommend special attention to the effects on mental health when planning measures for pandemic control and we recommend to implement 24-h shelter and smaller dormitories.

show abstract

“…Other health risks include violence, isolation, lack of protection from the weather, financial stress, and lack of access to hygiene and health facilities (Verheul et al., 2020). Various studies from UK and Italy describe the impact of homelessness on health, including an increased and premature occurrence of various somatic diseases, such as cardiovascular (7.5%−17%) and respiratory diseases (1.5%−4%) and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (5%), chronic medical conditions (48.7%), and multimorbidity (21.3%).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Services for homeless people in Germany during the COVID‐19‐pandemic: A descriptive study

Gräske

Koppe

Neumann

et al. 2021

Public Health Nursing

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Design A cross‐sectional study was conducted in December 2020/January 2021 in the five significant cities of Germany. Sample 135 of 244 identified service institutions took part in the evaluation. Measurements This evaluation included changes in institutions’ operating hours as well as capacity for homeless people. Service institutions described changes in guests’ characteristics, moods, and mental burden. Finally, equipment including face masks, coveralls, and gloves was investigated. In addition, the study examined how the cooperation with the health authorities works. Results Institutions reduced their operating hours and capacity for guests (62.4%). Increased costs, which they had to cover themselves, were reported by 70.9% of institutions. Institutions reported, that guests showed more symptoms of aggression (15%), anxiety (25%), and desperation (32%) and fewer signs of being relaxed (75%). The institutions reported room for improvement in PPE supplies and collaboration with health authorities. Conclusions Services are limited for a vulnerable population, which shows changes in moods and mental health. Health authorities are not sufficiently engaged to take over the role of institutions in caring for homeless people. In the future, in‐depth investigation to improve this is necessary.

show abstract

Self-perceived health problems and unmet care needs of homeless people in the Netherlands : the need for pro-active integrated care

Cited by 6 publications

References 12 publications

A Comprehensive Assessment to Enable Recovery of the Homeless: The HOP-TR Study

A Comprehensive Assessment to Enable Recovery of the Homeless: The HOP-TR Study

The collateral damage of the COVID-19 pandemic on homeless people in the Netherlands; a qualitative study on the impact of health and care

Services for homeless people in Germany during the COVID‐19‐pandemic: A descriptive study

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About