Understanding risk environments in permanent supportive housing for formerly homeless adults
Open accessAbstract
In this study, we used ethnographic methods and a risk environment framework to consider how contextual factors produce or reduce risk for substance use with a sample of 27 adults who recently moved into permanent supportive housing (PSH). Most apparent was how the social and physical environments interacted, because most participants focused on how having an apartment had dramatically changed their lives and how they interact with others. Specific themes that emerged that also involved economic and policy environments included the following: isolation versus social engagement; becoming one's own caseworker; and engaging in identity work. This study underscores the scarcity yet importance of research that examines the multiple types of environment in which PSH is situated, and suggests that a better understanding of how these environments interact to produce or reduce risk is needed to develop optimal interventions and support services.
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The intervention and its risk environment contexts - the social, physical, economic, policy, and political spaces in which tenants live - shape substance use and related harms.
“Given that harm reduction is a central tenet of Housing First, it is critical to understand how the intervention and its risk environment contexts - the social, physical, economic, policy, and political spaces in which tenants live - shape substance use and related harms (Henwood et al., 2018; Rhodes, 2002, 2009).”
From Harm reduction outcomes and practices in Housing First: A mixed-methods systematic review (2021) · cites this paper as Henwood et al., 2018
The Discussion (page not provided) says that physical, social, economic, and policy environments interact to produce or reduce substance-use risk for newly housed permanent supportive housing tenants. The cited paper does not identify a political environment among the types it examines, so that element of the attributed list is not supported by this source. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredAlthough Housing First may positively alter people's risk environments by offering them a safe place to live, the provision of independent apartments can also present risks related to using drugs alone.
“Although Housing First may positively alter people's risk environments by offering them a safe place to live (Henwood et al., 2018; Hsu et al., 2016), the provision of independent apartments can also present risks related to using drugs alone.”
From Harm reduction outcomes and practices in Housing First: A mixed-methods systematic review (2021) · cites this paper as Henwood et al., 2018
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- Authors
- Henwood, B. F., Lahey, J., Harris, T., Rhoades, H., & Wenzel, S. L.
- Affiliations
- University of Southern California (US)
- Corresponding author
- Henwood, Benjamin F.
- Venue
- Qualitative Health Research
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2018-07-04
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 13
- Pages
- 2011-2019
- ISSN
- 1049-7323 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-7557
- PMC
- PMC6277023
- OpenAlex
- W2810127139
- Cited by
- 39
- References
- 44
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 2
- FWCI
- 6.49
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Qualitative Health Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (1R01DA036345-01A1)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Homelessness and Social Issues
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Keywords
- permanent supportive housing, substance use risk, social environment, physical environment, identity work, housing policy, homelessness
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Anthropology, Cultural, Female, Ill-Housed Persons, Housing, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Risk, Social Environment, Social Isolation, Social Support, Los Angeles, Substance-Related Disorders
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