METHODS: Five electronic bibliographic databases: MEDLINE, PsycInfo, CINAHL, ASSIA and EMBASE, were searched. Studies were included if they measured the effectiveness or acceptability of any intervention in improving mental health outcomes in homeless women. Study quality was assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) Quality Assessment Tool. A narrative summary of the study findings in relation to the research questions was produced.
RESULTS: Thirty-nine studies met inclusion criteria. Overall, there was moderate evidence of the effectiveness of interventions in improving mental health outcomes in homeless women, both immediately post-intervention and at later follow-up. The strongest evidence was for the effectiveness of psychotherapy interventions. There was also evidence that homeless women find interventions aimed at improving mental health outcomes acceptable and helpful.
CONCLUSIONS: Heterogeneity in intervention and study methodology limits the ability to draw definitive conclusions about the extent to which different categories of intervention improve mental health outcomes in homeless women. Future research should focus on lesser-studied intervention categories, subgroups of homeless women and mental health outcomes. More in-depth qualitative research of factors that enhance or diminish the acceptability of mental health interventions to homeless women is also required.
方法:五个电子书目数据库:MEDLINE,PsycInfo,CINAHL,ASSIA和EMBASE,被搜查了。如果研究测量了任何干预措施在改善无家可归妇女的心理健康结果方面的有效性或可接受性,则包括在内。使用有效公共卫生实践项目(EPHPP)质量评估工具评估研究质量。产生了与研究问题相关的研究结果的叙述性总结。
结果:39项研究符合纳入标准。总的来说,有适度的证据表明干预措施在改善无家可归妇女的心理健康方面的有效性,在干预后立即进行随访。最有力的证据是心理治疗干预措施的有效性。还有证据表明,无家可归的妇女发现旨在改善心理健康结果的干预措施是可以接受的和有益的。
结论:干预和研究方法的异质性限制了就不同类别的干预措施在多大程度上改善无家可归妇女的心理健康结果得出明确结论的能力。未来的研究应该集中在研究较少的干预类别上,无家可归妇女的亚组和心理健康结果。还需要对提高或降低无家可归妇女接受心理健康干预措施的因素进行更深入的定性研究。