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This study describes expert perspectives on service user transitions within and from homeless service programs. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with subject matter experts (SMEs) who had practice or research experience regarding transitional supports in homeless services. Interviews were analyzed using rapid assessment procedures that allowed for the categorization and characterization of targeted interview domains. Findings indicate that assessment is a critical, but underspecified, aspect of transitional programs in homeless services. SMEs viewed assessments for transition readiness as goal-setting opportunities and said that frequency of assessment is best individualized to the person. Transitional supports, including housing navigation and peer support, were viewed as important elements of successful programs. SMEs further noted that opportunities for eventual transition from the program should be communicated to service users early on and that having an organizational culture that embraces service user transitions was critical, highlighting the importance of shifting culture around transitions in homeless services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid rehousing (RRH), a programmatic approach that seeks to help households currently experiencing homelessness quickly regain stable housing, has garnered increasing attention over the past decade in the United States and internationally. However, there has been no attempt to assess evidence of the effectiveness of RRH. We address this gap by conducting a systematic review to assess the overall quality of evidence on the impact of RRH; summarize evidence of the effectiveness of RRH on housing, health, social, economic and other outcomes; and summarize evidence regarding whether the effectiveness of RRH varies as a function of the characteristics of persons receiving RRH. We rate the overall methodological rigour of evidence on the impact of RRH as moderate. We find mixed evidence about the impact of RRH as compared to usual care and other housing interventions, and no evidence of a differential impact of RRH depending on recipient characteristics. We discuss how future research might help guide the provision of RRH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Asian Americans have poor HIV-related outcomes, yet culturally salient barriers to care remain unclear, limiting development of targeted interventions for this group. We applied the 'what matters most' theory of stigma to identify structural and cultural factors that shape the nature of stigma before and after immigration from China to the US. Design: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 immigrants to New York from China, recruited from an HIV clinic and community centers. Deductive followed by focal inductive qualitative analyses examined how Chinese cultural values (lian, guanxi, renqing) and structural factors influenced stigma before and after immigration. Results: In China, HIV stigma was felt through the loss of lian (moral status) and limited guanxi (social network) opportunities. A social structure characterized by limited HIV knowledge, discriminatory treatment from healthcare systems, and human rights violations impinged on the ability of people living with HIV to fulfill culturally valued goals. Upon moving to the US, positions of structural vulnerability shifted to enable maintenance of lian and formation of new guanxi, thus ameliorating aspects of stigma. Conclusions: HIV prevention and stigma reduction interventions among Chinese immigrants may be most effective by both addressing structural constraints and facilitating achievement of cultural values through clinical, peer, and group interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite its effectiveness, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been widely but diminishingly used in India. The current study evaluated a video psychoeducation on ECT offered to adults in India who screened positive for depression. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either video or brochure psychoeducation. Both video and brochure psychoeducation significantly improved participants' perceptions, knowledge, and willingness to receive ECT with only a few significant differences between the two modalities. Together, these findings suggest that psychoeducation is effective. Video psychoeducation which can be inexpensive and widely distributed may represent an important way to encourage patients to consider ECT as an option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evictions from rented accommodations are a common pathway to homelessness and can negatively impact the lives of individuals and communities worldwide. There have been only few interventions developed to address evictions, and it is important to first understand factors associated with evictions. This systematic review included all available peer‐reviewed articles on the topic published in the international literature from 1900 to 2017 and identified 10 peer‐reviewed studies of evictions conducted in the United States, Canada, Amsterdam and Britain. From these studies, four categories of factors associated with evictions were identified. These factors were financial hardships, sociodemographic characteristics, substance use and other health problems. While many studies had large sample sizes, the majority of studies were cross‐sectional. Together, our review found that there were several salient factors known to be associated with evictions which may benefit from intervention. However, more prospective studies on evictions and development of interventions are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The RePresent games are online video games that are publicly available and designed to educate people about legal self-representation in civil court. This study was part of a project to examine use of the RePresent games in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, and New Hampshire from January 2018 to May 2018. Data on game use across the four states were analyzed, and an online survey was conducted to examine characteristics of RePresent game users and nonusers seeking civil legal aid ( n = 277). The RePresent games were accessed more than 7,000 times in five months. The most common legal problems reported were related to debt, family, and housing. Compared with nonusers, RePresent game users were significantly more likely to be nonwhite, to have an incarceration history, to have more legal problems, and to screen positive for alcohol use problems. In the total sample, 83 percent screened positive for depression, 81 percent for generalized anxiety disorder, and 45 percent for drug problems. Only 34 percent reported use of mental health services, and 17 percent reported substance abuse treatment in the past year. These findings demonstrate that products like the RePresent games can be widely accessible to adults from disadvantaged backgrounds. In addition, civil legal settings may be a new area for mental health screening and intervention., (© 2020 American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law.)