Well-being of LGBTQ+ Homeless and Runaway People: A Systematic Review

Introduction Many people belonging to the LGBTQ+ community are severely marginalised due to discrimination. Evidence shows an overrepresentation of LGBTQ+ homeless and runaway people within the general homeless population. The increase in support requests and the lack of guidelines for setting up specific LGBTQ+ shelters highlight the need for psychosocial research in this field, to identify main criticalities, resources and targeted intervention strategies. This systematic review synthesizes international research on LGBTQ+ homelessness within a Community Psychology framework, highlighting both risk and protective factors, effects on well-being and existing services for this population. Design A systematic review of qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies. Grey literature was included to provide a more complete view of available evidence on policies. Methods Research articles were identified from systematic searches of Google Scholar and PsycINFO . Reports and policy strategies were also included. Data were extracted, synthesized, and grouped by (1) LGBTQ+ homelessness risk factors, (2) protective and promotive factors, (3) interventions and services, to illustrate preliminary findings. (Preliminary) Results Results show that LGBTQ+ homelessness can derive from experiences of exclusion from multiple social contexts , more often resulting from rejection or violence from the family. Being homeless or runaway because of stigma is linked to several negative outcomes , including reduced physical and sexual health, service drop-out, depression, substance abuse, and risky behaviours. Protective factors were identified, mainly related to social support, contexts’ inclusivity, and community connectedness. For what concerns studies on existing LGBTQ+ shelters, mostly arising from community-based projects, preliminary results suggest that targeted interventions focusing on promoting users’ social rehabilitation, autonomy and well-being seem central to provide quality care. Conclusions This review has practical policy implications, both for the improvement of existing services and for their replication in other contexts. This research is congruent with the mission of the SCRA LGBTI interest group.