Center for Alcohol, Substance Use, and Addictions, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
Clinical and Translational Science Center, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
J Prev Interv Community. 2024 Jan-Mar;52(1):73-97. doi: 10.1080/10852352.2024.2352266. Epub 2024 May 17.
No published studies have examined the community service priorities and harm reduction perspectives of unhoused people in Santa Fe, New Mexico. We conducted a mixed methods pilot study of 56 unhoused people at community locations in Santa Fe to: (1) assess the current prevalence of chronic medical conditions and substance use; (2) highlight community service priorities; and (3) explore views of innovative community harm reduction programs. Our first hypothesis was there would be high prevalence of chronic medical conditions, for which we found high prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder, major depression, substance use disorders, chronic pain, and hypertension. Our second hypothesis was that we would find top community service priorities of housing, food, and health care. We found long- and short-term housing and food, but not healthcare, top priorities. Our third hypothesis was that we would find mixed support for community harm reduction initiatives like managed alcohol programs and overdose prevention centers. We found positive, not mixed, support for these community harm reduction programs among Santa Fe's unhoused. Unhoused study participants ranged in age 27-77 years, with lifetime years unhoused from less than one year to 63 years. Study limitations included small sample size, convenience sampling, and descriptive results. Policies and program initiatives supporting additional Housing First options, managed alcohol programs, and overdose prevention centers in the Santa Fe community are clearly indicated to increase engagement with this vulnerable population. Future research should focus on inclusion of the perspectives of the unhoused in the design, conduct, evaluation, and dissemination of community programs to meet the needs of the unhoused, with re-defined outcomes to include changes in quality of life, program engagement, demarginalization, and future goals and plans, beyond currently utilized health and social service program outcome measures.
没有发表的研究调查过新墨西哥州圣达菲无家可归者的社区服务重点和减少伤害的观点。我们在圣达菲的社区地点对 56 名无家可归者进行了一项混合方法试点研究，目的是：（1）评估当前慢性疾病和物质使用的普遍程度；（2）突出社区服务重点；（3）探索创新社区减少伤害计划的观点。我们的第一个假设是，慢性疾病的患病率会很高，我们发现创伤后应激障碍、重度抑郁症、物质使用障碍、慢性疼痛和高血压的患病率很高。我们的第二个假设是，我们会发现住房、食物和医疗保健是社区服务的首要重点。我们发现长期和短期住房和食物是首要重点，但不是医疗保健。我们的第三个假设是，我们会发现对社区减少伤害计划的支持程度不一，例如管理酒精计划和过量预防中心。我们发现圣达菲无家可归者对这些社区减少伤害计划持积极态度，而不是混合态度。无家可归的研究参与者年龄在 27-77 岁之间，一生无家可归的时间不到一年到 63 年不等。研究的局限性包括样本量小、方便抽样和描述性结果。支持在圣达菲社区增加更多“首先提供住房”选择、管理酒精计划和过量预防中心的政策和计划举措显然是为了增加与这一弱势群体的接触。未来的研究应侧重于在设计、实施、评估和传播社区计划时纳入无家可归者的观点，以满足无家可归者的需求，并重新定义成果，包括生活质量、项目参与、去边缘化以及未来目标和计划的变化，超越当前使用的健康和社会服务项目成果衡量标准。
