First voice experiences of homeless mothers: their journey through pregnancy and motherhood and for some away from addictions

3^rd World Congress on Nursing Education, Practice & Research

May 16-17, 2018 | Montreal, Canada

Jean Hughes

Dalhousie University, Canada

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Nurs Care

Abstract :

Youth between the ages of 16 and 24 are considered one of the fastest growing segments of the homeless population. Research shows that the street youth population is diverse, complex and heterogeneous, and includes a number of subcultures including hard-core street entrenched young people, group home kids, refugees and immigrants, and young single mothers. Relative to the large body of work examining the risks associated with pathways into youth homelessness and the risks associated with living on the streets, a limited amount of research has concentrated on pathways out of homelessness. The exiting street life study was designed to address this gap by carrying out an in-depth, longitudinal, mixed-methods examination of 51 young people as they tried to transition away from homelessness in Canada�s largest city (Toronto) and a medium sized city (Halifax). One critical area of study was the trajectory out of homelessness by mothers: (4 Toronto and 9 Halifax). The primary question focused on: What are the lived experiences of homeless young mothers as they negotiate the individual, sociocultural, and economic tensions of transitioning out of homeless and street contexts and cultures? This presentation focuses on the critical factors that assisted mothers in making positive gains. The paper also examines how the findings can mobilize changes in education and policy � both in nursing and beyond?

Biography :

Dr. Hughes is Senior Editor for the Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health. She is also Research Mentor for Peer 126, Horizon Health, St. John, NB and holds an appointment with the IWK Health Centre (Research Scientist, Psychiatry). Her research and publications concentrate on marginalized populations with a focus on mental health issues and are funded by a number of Federal and Provincial sources. Her research employs multiple methods (quantitative, qualitative), large administrative datasets and is interdisciplinary, community-based, and participatory in nature. Her research also includes expertise from a range of disciplines and sectors (community, government, NGO and university sectors), and integrates diverse research designs to enable a holistic exploration of phenomena.
Email:jean.hughes@dal.ca