How is participation related to well-being of homeless people? An explorative qualitative study in a Dutch homeless shelter facility

ABSTRACT

The majority of homeless people is socially excluded which negatively affects their well-being. Therefore, participation-based programs are needed. The current research is conducted within a Dutch homeless shelter facility that offers educational, recreational, and labor activities to clients in an environment which is designed to feel safe (an enabling niche). The main aim of these activities is to facilitate social participation. We conducted two qualitative studies consisting of 16 semi-structured interviews, to explore clients’ experiences with participation in activities in relation to their well-being. The findings showed that clients experienced that participation had led to an improvement of physical, social, and mental well-being. In general, clients reported that due to participation in activities they have strengthened their social support network, improved their (mental and physical) health, self-esteem and personal growth. We concluded that in order to facilitate long-term positive outcomes of participation in practice, it is necessary to focus on group cohesion, and on the social worker’s behavior and attitude.

KEYWORDS:

• Well-being
• participation
• homelessness
• group work
• enabling niche

Disclosure statement

The first and third author of the paper are employed by SMO Breda, the shelter facility where the research is conducted. However, the management board of SMO Breda had no role in the study design, the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, nor in the content of the paper. Furthermore, the conditions of the employment of these two authors are fully independent of the content and publication of the current paper.

Notes on contributors

Miranda Rutenfrans-Stupar is a science practitioner at Tranzo, Tilburg University, the Netherlands. For the last decade, she worked as a policy worker and manager in a shelter facility for homeless people (SMO Breda e.o.). Currently, she is working on a PhD project regarding the evaluation of a participation-based intervention for the homeless (Growth Through Participation). Her research interests are homelessness, social participation, well-being, organizational culture, leadership style, and work engagement.

Bo Van Der Plas is currently studying Psychology at Erasmus University, the Netherlands. She is educated as a professional social worker at Avans University of Applied Sciences in Breda. She conducted a part of the research that is reported in this paper (Study 1) for her bachelor thesis in the field of social work.

Rick Den Haan is a program developer at SMO Breda e.o. He has extensive experience regarding sports and the social domain. Over the past eight years, he has worked with different target groups to give them a better life perspective through innovative sports-based interventions. He conducted a part of the research that is reported in this paper (Study 2) for his master thesis in the field of sports innovation (MSc) at HAN University of Applied Sciences.

Tine Van Regenmortel is a professor in Social Work at the Faculty of Social Sciences KU Leuven, Belgium. She is also head of Research Group “Social and Economic Policy & Social Inclusion” at HIVA KU Leuven and she coordinates the Academic Collaborative Centre Social Work at Tranzo, Tilburg University. Her research focuses on empowerment, social work, poverty, tailored care for vulnerable persons, and social policy.

René Schalk is a professor in Social Work at Tranzo, Tilburg University, the Netherlands. He is also associated with the Department of Human Resource Studies of Tilburg University, and the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences of North-West University, South Africa. His research focuses on social work, psychological contracts, and people in organizations.

Notes

1 One participant reported both a positive and a negative influence on mental well-being.

2 One participant reported both a positive and a negative influence on social well-being.

3 The same participant reported this experience regarding to mental well-being.