An exploration into whether homeless men drink alcohol as a result of previous abuse.

Abstract

Background: Topics surrounding homelessness are becoming increasingly popular within literature and there is a growing interest from researchers in exploring these topics further. One of the most researched and analysed topics is that of alcohol use within the homeless population. As a result of this, it is deemed beneficial to examine this from an occupational therapy perspective to explore the meanings behind this occupation and develop a research proposal from the findings. Purpose: This proposal will explore the relationship between homelessness and the occupation of drinking alcohol to identify if this is a result of occupational injustice by reviewing current and relevant literature. Following this review, it was identified that there is a gap in the current research on the topic of alcohol use in homeless men and whether this is a result of previous abuse. The proposal stemming from this recommends this topic as being beneficial for future research. Method: 8 participants, all male homeless individuals, will be recruited for the study through snowball sampling. They will all take part in one semi-structured interview each and then be asked to keep a diary, noting down what they do on a daily basis, which they should write in everyday for one month. All of the interviews will be recorded and then transcribed, with the data analysis process being guided by interpretive phenomenological analysis. Implications: This proposal anticipates educating the occupational therapy profession and other relevant professions of alcohol use as a meaningful occupation for individuals with a history of abuse - highlighting the importance of further research and occupation-based interventions.