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Housing for People with Serious Mental Illness: A Comparison of Values and Research

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American Journal of Community Psychology

Abstract

This article contrasts values associated with the delivery of housing programs for people with serious mental illness with the typical topics pertaining to housing that are studied by researchers. Six values were identified through a search and content analysis of the literature on housing for people with serious mental illness. A second review of the literature was conducted to identify research on housing for this population. A comparison of findings from the two reviews suggested that whereas values concerned with the therapeutic benefits of housing had received considerable research attention, those concerned with a citizenship dimension had received relatively little. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the delivery of housing services and for housing research.

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care through a grant from the Ontario Mental Health Foundation. Thanks to Isaac Prilleltensky, and to two anonymous reviewers, for helpful comments on earlier drafts of this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 125 University Street (Room 416A), Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1N 6N5

    John Sylvestre

  2. Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada, N2L 3C5

    Geoffrey Nelson

  3. Sabloff & Associates, 55A Glen Road, Toronto, ON, Canada, M4W 2V3

    Annabelle Sabloff

  4. Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada

    Sarah Peddle

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  1. John Sylvestre
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Correspondence to John Sylvestre.

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Sylvestre, J., Nelson, G., Sabloff, A. et al. Housing for People with Serious Mental Illness: A Comparison of Values and Research. Am J Community Psychol 40, 125–137 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-007-9129-9

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