Women Who Are Homeless: Leisure and Affiliation

People who are homeless are thought to be disaffiliated, or lack connections to community or social networks. The present study explored if women who lived in a transitional homeless shelter were disaffiliated, and examined the role leisure might play in maintaining affiliation. Ten women participated in the study. The study showed that leisure assisted the women to be affiliated. Women with mental illness or dual diagnosis were more disaffiliated than the other women in the study. Suggestions for therapeutic recreation practice to assist with preventing women who are homeless from becoming disaffiliated or chronically homeless are presented.

Publication Date: 
2004
Pages: 
348-365
Volume: 
38
Issue: 
4
Journal Name: 
Therapeutic Recreation Journal
Location: 
USA