Men Experiencing Homelessness: A Qualitative Investigation of Multiple Stigmas

Homelessness is a pervasive and problematic phenomenon. Unfortunately, programs designed to reduce or eliminate homelessness face a number of challenges. One such challenge involves difficulty engaging and retaining clientele who are experiencing homelessness in services. The literature suggests that one explanation for this difficulty involves the stigmatization experiences that individuals who are homeless accumulate over time. However, the relationship between stigmatization and the psychosocial functioning of individuals facing homelessness has rarely been investigated empirically, and it is unclear how well various theories of stigma apply to this unique population. The purpose of the current paper is to propose a grounded theory study of how a specific subgroup of the homeless population experiences and responds to multiple sources of social stigmatization: African American men experiencing homelessness and facing co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorders