Homelessness and mental health in Ghana - Everyday experiences of Accra's migrant squatters

被引：26

作者：

Aikins, Ama De-Graft ^{[1
]}

Ofori-Atta, Angela L.

机构：

[1] Univ Cambridge, Fac Social & Polit Sci, Dept Social & Dev Psychol, Cambridge CB2 1TN, England

[2] Univ Ghana, Dept Psychiat, Legon, Ghana

来源：

JOURNAL OF HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY | 2007年 / 12卷 / 05期

关键词：

family disruption; Ghana; homelessness; mental health; poverty rural-urban migration;

D O I：

10.1177/1359105307080609

中图分类号：

B849 [应用心理学];

学科分类号：

040203 ;

摘要：

This article discusses everyday experiences of transient homelessness in Ghana's capital, Accra. Episodic interviews with individuals living in squatter settlements in the wealthy East Legon suburb explored: (1) roots of homelessness; (2) everyday experiences and coping strategies; (3) relationship between experiences and (mental) health; (4) needs and interventions. Three intersecting forms of insecurity framed participants' everyday experience: financial, legal and psychosocial. Physical and psychological stresses were common; physical illnesses rare. Coping strategies facilitated adaptation but not transformation of everyday circumstances. We explore possibilities for intervention and discuss relevance of this study to the health psychology and African literatures on homelessness.

引用

页码：761 / 778

页数：18

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