Abstract
Purpose: Fears of being harmed (persecutory worries) may contribute to, perpetuate, and result from homelessness. We aimed to explore the content of such fears in people who experienced homelessness, the use of safety behaviours, and the impact on housing. We further aimed to investigate whether individuals wanted to be asked about and supported with fears of being harmed.
Method: Twenty-three people with experience of homelessness and at least moderate-severe persecutory worries completed a mixed-methods questionnaire.
Results: Fears of being harmed explicitly related to previous stable living situations for eleven participants, with seven fearing harm from landlords or neighbours. An additional six participants reported fears related to living situations while homeless. All participants used avoidance strategies and at least six safety behaviours. Fifteen participants stated there were links between fears, safety behaviours and unstable housing. Most participants reported they would have wanted support with their fears.
Conclusion: This study provides evidence that for some individuals the content of persecutory fears specifically relates to their living situation. Such fears, understandably, prompt avoidance and safety behaviours. Most participants wanted support with fears. These findings have clinical implications for improving the support available for people experiencing fears of being harmed and housing difficulties.
Method: Twenty-three people with experience of homelessness and at least moderate-severe persecutory worries completed a mixed-methods questionnaire.
Results: Fears of being harmed explicitly related to previous stable living situations for eleven participants, with seven fearing harm from landlords or neighbours. An additional six participants reported fears related to living situations while homeless. All participants used avoidance strategies and at least six safety behaviours. Fifteen participants stated there were links between fears, safety behaviours and unstable housing. Most participants reported they would have wanted support with their fears.
Conclusion: This study provides evidence that for some individuals the content of persecutory fears specifically relates to their living situation. Such fears, understandably, prompt avoidance and safety behaviours. Most participants wanted support with fears. These findings have clinical implications for improving the support available for people experiencing fears of being harmed and housing difficulties.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Journal of Social Distress and Homelessness |
| Early online date | 14 Nov 2024 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 14 Nov 2024 |