Understanding housing needs among individuals with mental health difficulties in a mental health inpatient unit in Dublin

Abstract

For people with mental health difficulties, housing is fundamental to recovery. Housing should be at the center of community psychiatry. Yet the reality presents a picture of stark lack of awareness of unmet housing related need within the mental health services.

This PhD study consists of three distinct but related studies:
1. What is the prevalence of housing need among inpatients on the acute inpatient unit?
2. What accommodation types are inpatients with housing need admitted from and discharged to?
3. Is there a relationship between inpatient and key nurses’ preferences for housing and support?

Questions one and two were addressed by asking nurse managers weekly and question three was addressed by a mixed methods study.

On average 55% (n = 26) of inpatients had accommodation needs at any one time. An average of 15 (32%) were delayed discharge and 97% of these had accommodation needs. More than half (53%, n = 58) of the 109 discharges of inpatients with housing need, were to a different accommodation type than they were admitted from. The parental home was the largest accommodation type at admission (n = 25, 23%) and homeless services was the largest at discharge (n = 28, 26%). Inpatients strongly preferred independent living accommodation types (79%), for reasons of control, autonomy, and freedom to make choices. They also chose living alone (63%). Key nurses’ preferences for the inpatients living situation were equally divided between independent living (47%) and more structured type arrangements with built-in supports (47%) due to the inpatient’s level of functioning and skills. Key nurses preferred inpatients to live with others (60%).

The mental health service has a housing role in identifying housing need. It is important to listen to the preferences for housing and support of people with mental health difficulties.

Date of Award	Dec 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Queen's University Belfast
Sponsors	Praxis Care
Supervisor	Patricia Carlisle (Supervisor) & Gavin Davidson (Supervisor)