Community Research: Women’s Mental Health & Homelessness

Please explore the project outputs here: The Impact Case Report, and co-produced Guide for Women Experiencing Homelessness and Transitioning into Settled Accommodation.

Please let us know if you download and use them so we can track our impact!: gail@justlife.org.uk

Community research involves people from the community leading the research. This project was co-designed by a community researcher with lived experience of homelessness and mental health challenges, working collaboratively with people with lived experience, Justlife, academic partners, an art therapist, and service providers.

This community research project ran from March 2025 to September 2025. It aimed to explore women’s mental health in the context of homelessness using a creative, community-led research approach.

Project Aims

The project focused on three key aims:

• Aim 1: Facilitate mutual learning and engagement between women with lived experience of poor mental health and homelessness, and relevant services, including academic partners, voluntary organisations, and service providers.
  
  

• Aim 2: Deepen understanding of women’s mental health, particularly where affected by homelessness or housing insecurity, through participatory ‘river of life’ sessions.
  
  

• Aim 3: Promote healing and well-being among women with lived experience of poor mental health, using a participatory approach that created safe, inclusive spaces centred on lived experience and emotional resilience.

Funding

This creative community research project was funded by the Research Engagement Network (REN), a pan-Sussex initiative aimed at increasing diversity, inclusion, and trust in health and care research. REN supports collaboration between academics and community researchers to reduce inequalities and ensure research reflects the needs and experiences of local communities.

Resources

The outputs of this project are available for download. Please let us know if you download and use them so we can track our impact!:

• Impact Case Study Report: This report outlines the activity blueprint (methodology), key findings, recommendations, and impact.

• A Guide for Women Experiencing Homelessness and Transitioning into Settled Accommodation– a directory of support services co-produced by women with lived experience.

Get in Touch

To discuss areas of interest or collaboration arising from this research, including:

• Women’s mental health and homelessness
  
  

• Creative research methods
  
  

• Community research
  
  

• Lived experience participation
  
  

• Opportunities to collaborate with the community researcher
  
  

Please contact:
Gail Butler
📧 gail@justlife.org.uk