Doctoral Research
Silent Struggles: Examining Mental Illness as a Root Cause of Chronic Homelessness Among Veterans in Urban Phoenix, Arizona
Abstract
What the study asks
Chronic homelessness among veterans is often described as a housing shortage. This study argues that in urban Phoenix it is more accurately understood as an untreated mental health crisis expressed through housing loss. Using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, the research pairs a large de-identified administrative dataset with in-depth veteran interviews to examine how untreated mental illness, service-connected trauma, and fragmented care systems compound into long-term housing instability. Findings point toward integrated, trauma-informed, low-barrier interventions — and toward the faith and community organizations already positioned to deliver them.
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Research Focus
Areas examined
- Untreated mental illness as a driver — not merely a consequence — of chronic homelessness
- Service-connected trauma, PTSD, and moral injury among urban Phoenix veterans
- Fragmentation between VA services, local providers, and community organizations
- Barriers to sustained engagement: stigma, transportation, documentation, and trust
- The role of faith-based and grassroots organizations in the continuum of care
Methodology Snapshot
How the research was conducted
- Design
- Convergent parallel mixed-methods
- Framework
- Trauma-informed care principles
- Theory
- Social-ecological model paired with Maslow's hierarchy of needs
- Quantitative dataset
- 1,191 de-identified records (modeled after VA + HMIS data structures)
- Qualitative sample
- 20 in-depth interviews with veterans
Key Findings
What the data showed
- 01Mental health symptoms most often preceded the first episode of homelessness rather than following it.
- 02Veterans with untreated conditions experienced markedly longer and more frequent episodes of housing loss.
- 03Care fragmentation — not a lack of programs — was the most consistently reported barrier.
- 04Trust built through relationship, often via peers or faith communities, predicted re-engagement with services.
- 05Basic-need instability repeatedly interrupted treatment, echoing the Maslow-informed framing of the study.
Why It Matters
Policy and community impact
- Reframes local strategy from bed counts toward integrated behavioral health and housing.
- Gives agencies and funders an evidence base for trauma-informed, low-barrier program design.
- Positions faith and community organizations as measurable partners in the continuum of care.
- Offers a replicable model for other urban counties facing similar veteran outcomes.
Access
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