Access to mental health services: the perspective of people experiencing homelessness.
Tatiane Cristina da Silva, Aldair Weber, Giulia Delfini and 1 others
PMID 42524966WHAT IT FOUND
People experiencing homelessness said they learned about mental health services through street contacts and outreach teams.
They often chose food, hygiene and shelter first, reported stigma in some services, and valued the street clinic for respectful, quick care.
Key findings
01Participants said contact with mental health services often came from street interactions and from outreach teams such as SOS Rua and Centro POP.
02Many prioritized immediate needs such as hygiene, shelter and food over other care offered by the network.
03Participants reported judgmental attitudes, longer waits and unsatisfactory care in some services, and valued the street clinic for respectful, fast care without appointments.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study was done in one municipality and with one Street Outreach Clinic team, so it may not reflect places without such services. Participants were selected by convenience, and only people able to verbalize were included, so those with severe psychological disorder or medication effects may be missing. The interviews were short, averaged 13 minutes, and were not returned to participants for checking. Findings were analysed mainly by the lead researcher, then agreed with co-authors, without software or member checking. The Street Outreach Clinic team was present during interviews, which may have affected what participants said. It is qualitative, so it describes experiences and access patterns, not measured effects.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the positive experiences with the street clinic as evidence that it improves mental health outcomes. This qualitative study reports what participants said about access, stigma and expectations, not measured effects.