Participatory community action research in homeless shelters: Outcomes for shelter residents and service-learning research assistants

Abstract

The article reports empirical outcomes of an ongoing transdisciplinary participatory community action research project that implements behavioral activation in homeless shelters. The overall goal of this Project is twofold: (1) to improve psychosocial functioning of shelter residents and enhance their opportunities to overcome homelessness; and (2) to enhance civic development of service-learning students who assist in Project implementation. Two studies are reported, representing these goals. Study 1 found that residents of a men’s shelter (n = 892), women’s shelter (n = 433), and transitional housing (n = 40) perceived behavioral activation sessions as immediately beneficial (i.e., important, meaningful, worthy of repeating, and enjoyable), and over the course of shelter stay, they perceived behavioral activation as contributing to their hope, empowerment/self-sufficiency, quality of life, purpose/meaning in life, wellbeing, social support, shelter social climate, and relationships with staff. Quantitative findings are supported by qualitative data (comments by residents on forms). Study 2, which replicates and extends past research on civic-development in service-learning students, used a new quasi-experimental design to compare service-learning students (n = 41) in an interdisciplinary course on homelessness versus non-service-learning students (n = 16) in a psychology course. Service-learning students showed pre- to post-semester improvements in community service self-efficacy, decreases in stigmatizing attitudes, and increases in awareness of privilege and oppression, but students not engaged in service-learning did not show these civic-related changes. These quantitative results are supported by qualitative data (written reflections by students). Results and implications are discussed within the context of the concept of psychopolitical validity.

Keywords:

• Homelessness
• shelters
• behavioral activation
• service-learning
• participatory community action research

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

Over the years, this research was supported in part by: Marianist Foundation, University of Dayton; Vincent de Paul (Dayton, Ohio); Greater Dayton Brain Health Foundation (Montgomery County, Ohio); Levin Family Foundation (Dayton, Ohio); Homeless Solutions Board (Montgomery County, Ohio); National Alliance on Mental Illness (Montgomery County, Ohio); Hanley Sustainability Institute, University of Dayton; Human Rights Center, University of Dayton; Graduate Student Fellowship Program, University of Dayton; Dean’s Summer Fellowship Program, University of Dayton; Raymond A. Roesch, S.M. Endowed Chair in the Social Sciences, University of Dayton.