Empowering features and outcomes of homeless interventions: a systematic review and narrative synthesis

The purpose of this systematic review and narrative synthesis was to identify homeless interventions with empowering features, and evaluate their effectiveness for developing the psychological empowerment of services users. To identify and evaluate intervention studies we combined the theoretical frameworks of empowering settings and psychological empowerment (PE). Our conceptualization of psychological empowerment included intrapersonal, interactional, and behavioral components. After systematic searching and screening, 38 studies were included for review. Interventions with empowering features included supported housing, case management, skills and knowledge acquisition, and mutual support. Interventions that were competency-building and that provided and developed support were effective for the intrapersonal PE component. Interventions that were collaborative and competency-building were effective for the behavioral PE component. Weak evidence suggested that interventions with empowering features may be effective for the interactional PE component. Findings of this review align the empirical evidence for homeless interventions with theoretical conceptions of empowering features and outcomes. Findings may be applied to the design and implementation of homeless interventions to incorporate empowering features and to improve services users’ outcomes in psychological empowerment.