Mental Health and Wellbeing in Homeless Services

Mental health and wellbeing in homeless services encompass the psychological, emotional and social dimensions of both service users and frontline practitioners. Research highlights the high prevalence of anxiety, depression and trauma-related disorders among individuals experiencing homelessness, often exacerbated by instability, social exclusion and comorbid physical health conditions. At the same time, staff and volunteers contend with substantial occupational stressors, including emotional labour, resource scarcity and vicarious trauma. Effective interventions adopt a person-centred approach, integrating trauma-informed care, peer support and collaborative case management to build resilience and foster recovery. Organisational culture, training and supervision play critical roles in mitigating burnout and sustaining service quality. Globally, innovations such as mobile outreach, integrated housing-first models and digital wellbeing tools demonstrate promise in bridging gaps between mental health provision and homeless services.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Mental Health and Wellbeing in Homeless Services publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in mental health and wellbeing in homeless services across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Burnout: A work-related syndrome characterised by emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and reduced sense of personal achievement.

Secondary traumatic stress: Stress reactions experienced by those exposed to others’ traumatic experiences through their professional role.

Compassion satisfaction: The positive feelings derived from helping or caring for others effectively.

Meta-synthesis: A methodological approach that integrates findings from multiple qualitative studies to generate new insights.

Coping strategies: Cognitive and behavioural methods employed to manage internal and external stressors.

References

1. Stress and Wellbeing during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Exploration of Frontline Homelessness Services Staff Experiences in Scotland. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2022).
2. A systematic review and meta‐synthesis of qualitative studies that investigate the emotional experiences of staff working in homeless settings. Health & Social Care in the Community (2021).
3. ‘It’s intense’ – A mixed-methods analysis of how the early COVID-pandemic impacted on the wellbeing of practitioners in a UK homeless organization. Journal of Social Distress and the Homeless (2022).