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Recruitment and retention of homeless individuals with mental illness in a housing first intervention study
Author(s): Verena Strehlau, Iris Torchalla, Michelle Patterson, Akm Moniruzzaman, Allison Laing, Sindi Addorisiob, Jim Frankish, Michael Krausz
Publication Date: 2017
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...
Sexual health, vulnerabilities and risk behaviours among homeless adults
Author(s): Verena Strehlau, Iris Torchalla, Isabelle Linden, Kathy Li, Michael Krausz
Publication Date: 2014
It is well known that homeless individuals are at risk for a variety of health problems, including sexually transmissible infections. Optimisation of health services for the homeless requires knowledge of their sexual health. The sexual health and sexual vulnerability factors of 500 homeless adults (196 women) were assessed in a cross-sectional survey in three Canadian cities. Our data indicate that a significant proportion of individuals and mor...
Religious Participation and Substance Use Behaviors in a Canadian Sample of Homeless People
Author(s): Iris Torchalla, Kathy Li, Verena Strehlau, Isabelle Aube Linden, Michael Krausz
Publication Date: 2014
This study examined religious behaviors in 380 homeless individuals. We hypothesized that higher frequency of religious attendance is associated with lower rates of use of all substances, lower rates of drug and alcohol dependence, and lower psychological distress. Individuals attending religious ceremonies at least weekly ("frequent attendees") were compared to infrequent attendees. Participants also provided qualitative information about their...
“Like a lots happened with my whole childhood”: violence, trauma, and addiction in pregnant and postpartum women from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside
Author(s): Iris Torchalla, Isabelle Aube Linden, Verena Strehlau, Erika K. Neilson, Michael Krausz
Publication Date: 2015
Background Women living in poor and vulnerable neighbourhoods like Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES) face multiple burdens related to the social determinants of health. Many of them struggle with addiction, are involved in the sex trade and experience homelessness and gender-based violence. Such evidence suggests that psychological trauma is also a common experience for these women. Methods The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore...
Are Childhood Abuse and Neglect Related to Age of First Homelessness Episode Among Currently Homeless Adults?
Author(s): Marissa Y. Mar, Isabelle A. Linden, Iris Torchalla, Kathy Li, Michael Krausz
Publication Date: 2014
This study investigates 500 homeless adults and the associations between childhood maltreatment types and the age of first reported homelessness episode. Those first experiencing homelessness in youth (age 24 years or younger; 46%) were compared with those first experiencing homelessness at a later age (older than age 24 years). In individual models, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and emotional neglect were associated with first experiencing ho...
Mental disorder, service use, and barriers to care among 500 homeless people in 3 different urban settings
Author(s): Reinhardt Michael Krausz, Adam F Clarkson, Verena Strehlau, Iris Torchalla, Kathy Li, Christian G. Schuetz
Publication Date: 2013
Objective To determine the standardized rates of mental disorder, health service use and barriers to care in a representatively diverse sample of homeless adults in three different sized urban centers in British Columbia, Canada. Method Five hundred homeless adults from Vancouver, Victoria and Prince George were recruited. The MINI-International Neuropsychiatric Interview PLUS was used to determine current and lifetime rates of mental disorder, m...
Gender differences in early trauma and high-risk behaviors among street-entrenched youth in British Columbia
Author(s): Sahoo Saddichha, Iris Torchalla, Michael Reinhardt Krausz
Publication Date: 2014
Objective: This work aimed to evaluate gender differences among the street-entrenched youth in British Columbia in terms of their demographics, experiences of childhood maltreatment, mental health issues, and substance use behaviors. Materials and methods: Data were derived from the BC Health of the Homeless Study (BCHOHS), carried out in three cities in British Columbia, Canada. Measures included socio-demographic information, the Maudsley Addic...
The Burnaby treatment center for mental health and addiction, a novel integrated treatment program for patients with addiction and concurrent disorders: results from a program evaluation
Author(s): Christian Schütz, Isabelle Aube Linden, Iris Torchalla, Kathy Li, Majid Al-Desouki, Michael Krausz
Publication Date: 2013
Patients with addictions and concurrent disorders constitute the most underserved population in the system of care. There are numerous reasons why this population has so much difficulty accessing services, including behavioural issues, criminal engagement, and non-compliance with outpatient services. To improve services to this population which is marked by multiple morbidities, high mortality and insufficient access to health care, the governmen...
The Association Between Childhood Maltreatment Subtypes and Current Suicide Risk Among Homeless men and Women
Author(s): Iris Torchalla, Verena Strehlau, Kathy Li, Christian Schuetz, Michael Krausz
Publication Date: 2012
This study explored self-reports of five childhood maltreatment (CM) subtypes and their associations with current suicide risk in a sample of 500 homeless persons. Participants completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Individual, unique, and cumulative associations of CM subtypes and subtype combinations with suicide risk (no vs. low vs. moderate/high) were examined. In multivariate analy...
Smoking and Predictors of Nicotine Dependence in a Homeless Population
Author(s): Iris Torchalla, Verena Strehlau, Chizimuzo T.C. Okoli, Kathy Li, Christian Schuetz, Michael Krausz
Publication Date: 2011
Objective: To assess prevalence rates of tobacco use and dependence in a sample of homeless individuals and to investigate trends for demographic and clinical characteristics across different levels of nicotine dependence (nonsmokers vs. lowly dependent smokers vs. highly dependent smokers). Methods: A cross-sectional study of 489 homeless men and women in 3 Canadian cities. Each subject was assessed using structured clinical interviews and th...
Substance use and predictors of substance dependence in homeless women
Author(s): Iris Torchalla, Verena Strehlau, Kathy Li, Michael Krausz
Publication Date: 2011
Objective: To examine lifetime and current prevalence rates of substance use disorders and the demographic and clinical correlates of current drug dependence in a sample of homeless women. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 196 homeless women in three Canadian cities was done. Each subject was assessed using structured clinical interviews. A multivariate regression model was applied to determine predictors of substance use. Results: The mean age...