Young people, home and homelessness : a narrative exploration

This thesis explores the experiences of homeless young people with a particular focus on the process of making the journey out of homelessness. It consists of a literature review, a research paper and a critical appraisal. The literature review comprises a narrative approach exploring the meaning of ‘home’ in relation to the lives of homeless young people. It explores, synthesises and critically appraises a range of inter-disciplinary research to consider the physical, psychological and social dimensions to this concept. The review then considers the clinical implications of these ideas for supporting homeless young people to regain a sense of ‘home’ in their lives. The research paper explores the experiences of seven young people making the journey out of homelessness. The research, developed in collaboration with a research advisory group of young people, adopted a narrative methodology to explore participants’ stories. The findings are presented as a ‘shared story’ containing five chapters. The findings illustrate the psychological and social mediators which impact on young people’s experiences of navigating the journey out of homelessness. The contributions of these narratives are discussed in relation to guiding interventions to address the psychological wellbeing of homeless young people. Finally, the critical appraisal presents my reflections on the research journey and is divided into five chapters. The first chapter details my hopes and motivations when embarking on the research project. The second chapter reflects upon the process of how I conceptualised and planned the project, including the challenges I faced in attempting to do this this. The third chapter provides an account of my experience of undertaking the research project. Finally, the fourth chapter summarises my reflections about the future dissemination of the research and how my experiences conducting this research have impacted on my personal and professional development.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

Ph.D.

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Faculty of Health and Medicine

Year dc:date.issued

2014

Authors dc:creator

• Hewitt, Jennifer
• Daiches, Anna
• Weatherhead, Stephen