Housing First and Substance Abuse
RUNNING HEAD: RESEARCH ARTICLE ANALYSIS
Research Article Analysis
The research article I chose to analyze, Housing First Services for People who Are Homeless with Co-Occurring Serious Mental Illness and Substance Abuse, studied the outcomes of alcohol and substance abuse as well as participation in substance abuse and mental health treatment between people in housing first programs and treatment first programs in New York City. The two research questions asked were, “Are there group differences in alcohol and drug use at 48 months?” and “Are there group differences in participation in substance abuse and mental health treatment at 48 months?” (Padgett, Gulcur, & Tsemberis, 2006, p. 76). The purpose of this study was to find out if this four year study was comparable to the New York Housing Society’s research done in 1996, which studied housing stability among housing first versus treatment first participants over the course of two years. This evaluative research concluded that sobriety-contingent housing did not lead to more stable housing, nor did it show any statistically significant difference between the two groups on drug or alcohol use, as such; there was little difference in the outcomes based on the previous study of 2 year duration versus the current research of 4 year duration. The authors did not make the research question’s importance very clear. I had to read over the article several times to determine that the research questions were trying to find out whether housing stability among treatment first or housing first participants changed over a longer period of time. Having understood what the research question was really asking, I believe it is very important in the social work field. By asking questions like this, we enter the process of reversing the continuum of operations regarding housing for those struggling with drug addiction, and challenge notions of what is best for people who are seemingly unable to take care of themselves. The
Research Article Analysis
The research article I chose to analyze, Housing First Services for People who Are Homeless with Co-Occurring Serious Mental Illness and Substance Abuse, studied the outcomes of alcohol and substance abuse as well as participation in substance abuse and mental health treatment between people in housing first programs and treatment first programs in New York City. The two research questions asked were, “Are there group differences in alcohol and drug use at 48 months?” and “Are there group differences in participation in substance abuse and mental health treatment at 48 months?” (Padgett, Gulcur, & Tsemberis, 2006, p. 76). The purpose of this study was to find out if this four year study was comparable to the New York Housing Society’s research done in 1996, which studied housing stability among housing first versus treatment first participants over the course of two years. This evaluative research concluded that sobriety-contingent housing did not lead to more stable housing, nor did it show any statistically significant difference between the two groups on drug or alcohol use, as such; there was little difference in the outcomes based on the previous study of 2 year duration versus the current research of 4 year duration. The authors did not make the research question’s importance very clear. I had to read over the article several times to determine that the research questions were trying to find out whether housing stability among treatment first or housing first participants changed over a longer period of time. Having understood what the research question was really asking, I believe it is very important in the social work field. By asking questions like this, we enter the process of reversing the continuum of operations regarding housing for those struggling with drug addiction, and challenge notions of what is best for people who are seemingly unable to take care of themselves. The
References: Engel, R. J., & Schutt, R. K. (2012). The practice of research in social work . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc. Padgett, D. K., Gulcur, L., & Tsemberis, S. (2006). Housing first services for people who are homeless with co-occuring serious metal illness and substance abuse. Research on Social Work Practice, 74-85. Santrock, J. W., MacKenzie-Rivers, A., Malcomson, T., & Ho Leung, K. (2011). Life-Span Development. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson.