Homelessness and mental health in Ghana: everyday experiences of Accra's migrant squatters.
This article discusses everyday experiences of transient homelessness in Ghana's capital, Accra. Episodic interviews with individuals living in squatter settlements in the wealthy East Legon suburb explored: (1) roots of homelessness; (2) everyday experiences and coping strategies; (3) relationship between experiences and (mental) health; (4) needs and interventions. Three intersecting forms of insecurity framed participants' everyday experience: financial, legal and psychosocial. Physical and psychological stresses were common; physical illnesses rare. Coping strategies facilitated adaptation but not transformation of everyday circumstances. We explore possibilities for intervention and discuss relevance of this study to the health psychology and African literatures on homelessness.
de-Graft Aikins
Ama
A
Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of Cambridge, UK. ada21@cam.ac.uk
Ofori-Atta
Angela L
AL
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005869:Ghana; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D011204:Poverty Areas; D011593:Psychology, Social; D036301:Qualitative Research; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000523:psychology*; D014504:Urban Health