| dc.description.abstract | Abstract: It is estimated approximately 660 people sleep rough in Scotland every
night. The prevalence of women sleeping rough is a growing issue in Scotland. It is
identified by research in the UK that women who sleep rough are more likely to have
specific support needs to men and have experienced traumas, including domestic
abuse, mental ill health, substance misuse, and have self-harmed. However, when
women sleep rough they make themselves less visible in order to stay safe, therefore
little is known about their experiences. Women homelessness is under-reported as
the focus tends to be on single males, or women with children (Williams 2018). Many
people who are rough sleepers are faced with challenges when participating in
activities of daily living such as self-care, toileting, cooking and eating. Individuals can
struggle to engage in occupations that are meaningful to them and loose connection
with what they enjoyed. Homelessness can impact on a person and their identity
including losing a sense of who they are, what their roles are and what their values
are. While some literature focuses on homelessness, single women rough sleeper’s perspective is unclear.
Aim: This research aims to explore the experiences of single women rough sleepers
and the impact this has on their occupational identity.
Methods: A phenomenological approach will be adopted to explore the experiences
of 8 single women who are rough sleeping. This will be achieved using face to face
semi-structured interviews, carried out with each woman.
Expected Outcomes: It is hoped this research will uncover the experiences of single
women when sleeping rough and how this impacts their occupational identity. This
in turn will add to the evidence-base and inform better occupational therapy
practice and other professionals when working with this population. | en |
