Can we Predict Chronic Homelessness?

Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Cognitive Impairment

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01775683

20120651-01H

Details and patient eligibility

About

Homeless men and women suffer more illness and sooner death compared to housed people. Among the homeless, there is a group that suffers more illness than others. This group is usually homeless for several months, makes up a smaller proportion of homeless people and uses more resources from emergency shelters than other homeless people. Some have asked if a difference in thinking skills explains how people who are homeless for a long time need more help in getting and keeping housing compared to other homeless persons.

In this study, thinking skills that help a person plan and make decisions will be screened among those who have been homeless for a long time and those who were homeless for a short time. If there is a difference, then screening may change how future homeless people get the help they need.

Enrollment: 60 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Men and women, greater than or equal to 18 years old, English speaking
• Group A: currently homeless and/or housed in an emergency shelter or housing facility for chronically homeless individuals ≥ 6 months
• Group B: not homeless ≥4 times in the last 3 years and currently living in stable housing ≥ 6 months and in the last 3 years, has been homeless ≤ 1 month

Exclusion criteria

At the time of testing, individuals with the following characteristics will be excluded:

1. Altered mental status (determined by Nurse Coordinator through participant response to questions regarding orientation to person, place and season - score of at least 2/3 is considered intact mental status).
2. Present intoxication (determined by Nurse Coordinator through participant evaluation of odour, either alcohol or non-beverage alcohol).
3. Currently violent or aggressive towards testers (determined by Nurse Coordinator)

Trial design

60 participants in 2 patient groups

Group A - chronically homeless

Description:

Men and women, greater than or equal to age 18 years, English-speaking, who are currently homeless and/or housed in an emergency shelter or housing facility for chronically homeless individuals ≥ 6 months.

Group B - control/formerly homeless

Description:

Men and women, greater than or equal to 18 years, English-speaking who are not homeless ≥4 times in the last 3 years and currently living in stable housing ≥ 6 months and in the last 3 years, has been homeless ≤ 1 month