Non-beverage alcohol consumption among individuals experiencing chronic homelessness in Edmonton, Canada: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Among individuals experiencing homelessness, the prevalence of alcohol use disorder is extremely high. Alcohol-related harms are compounded by the use of non-beverage alcohol (NBA; e.g.

Unmet service needs and barriers to care of individuals experiencing absolute homelessness in Edmonton, Canada: a cross-sectional survey.

Purpose: Individuals experiencing absolute homelessness have complex needs but limited access to services, contributing to high rates of morbidity and mortality. The aim of this article is to describe the perceived unmet service needs of individuals experiencing absolute homelessness, identify their barriers to care, and examine factors associated with specific unmet service needs.

Methods: Using a cross-sectional survey, 150 individuals experiencing absolute homelessness were recruited from Edmonton's inner city and adjoining areas.

Recruitment and retention of homeless individuals with mental illness in a housing first intervention study.

Background: Homeless individuals with mental illness are challenging to recruit and retain in longitudinal research studies. The present study uses information from the Vancouver site of a Canadian multi-city longitudinal randomized controlled trial on housing first interventions for homeless individuals. We were able to recruit 500 participants and retain large number of homeless individuals with mental illness; 92% of the participants completed the 6-month follow up interview, 84% the 24-month follow up, while 80% completed all follow-up visits of the study.

Food security among individuals experiencing homelessness and mental illness in the At Home/Chez Soi Trial.

Objective: Individuals experiencing homelessness are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity. The At Home/Chez Soi study provides a unique opportunity to first examine baseline levels of food security among homeless individuals with mental illness and second to evaluate the effect of a Housing First (HF) intervention on food security in this population.

Design: At Home/Chez Soi was a 2-year randomized controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of HF compared with usual care among homeless adults with mental illness, stratified by level of need for mental health services (high or moderate).

Housing Quality in a Randomized Controlled Trial of Housing First for Homeless Individuals with Mental Illness: Correlates and Associations with Outcomes.

Housing quality (HQ) is associated with mental health, and may mediate outcomes in housing interventions. However, studies of housing interventions rarely report HQ. The purpose of this study was to describe HQ in a multi-site randomized controlled trial of Housing First (HF) in five Canadian cities and to examine possible differences by treatment group (HF recipients and treatment-as-usual (TAU) participants who were able to find housing through other programs or on their own).