Mental Youth Matters in London: Mental Health, Addiction and Homelessness

Methods: In total, 187 youths living with diagnosed or undiagnosed mental illness and/or addiction were included in this study. These individuals were followed over a period of three years in order to explore their housing preferences. The sample was drawn from the Middlesex area, which includes smaller rural communities such as Strathroy, where youth outreach services are also established. Rural areas where limited services are available were included as well. Further outreach to local communities beyond London-Middlesex was also explored. Participant observation occurred through observations of staff-consumer surivor interactions within each approach to service delivery.

This study utilized a mixed-methods research design. Collecting qualitative data included asking open-ended questions and taking detailed field notes. Focus groups with staff and consumer survivors occurred every 6 months to assit in understanding the nature of each serivce approach, changes that evolved within services, and faciliators and barriers to service delivery. With respect to quantitative data, descriptive analyses were performed on all survey variables.