Can we Predict Chronic Homelessness?

January 22, 2013 updated by: Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

A Case-control Study to Determine Whether a Screening Measure of Executive Dysfunction, the Quick EXIT, is Predictive of Chronic Homelessness

Homeless men and women suffer more illness and sooner death compared to housed people. Among the homeless, there is a group that suffers more illness than others. This group is usually homeless for several months, makes up a smaller proportion of homeless people and uses more resources from emergency shelters than other homeless people. Some have asked if a difference in thinking skills explains how people who are homeless for a long time need more help in getting and keeping housing compared to other homeless persons.

In this study, thinking skills that help a person plan and make decisions will be screened among those who have been homeless for a long time and those who were homeless for a short time. If there is a difference, then screening may change how future homeless people get the help they need.

Study Overview

Status

Unknown

Conditions

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Anticipated)

60

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Canada
    • Ontario
      • Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1H 8M5
        • The Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Homeless men and women, greater or equal to 18 years, English-speaking, in Ottawa, ON, Canada

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Men and women, greater than or equal to 18 years old, English speaking
  • Group A: currently homeless and/or housed in an emergency shelter or housing facility for chronically homeless individuals ≥ 6 months
  • Group B: not homeless ≥4 times in the last 3 years and currently living in stable housing ≥ 6 months and in the last 3 years, has been homeless ≤ 1 month

Exclusion Criteria:

At the time of testing, individuals with the following characteristics will be excluded:

  1. Altered mental status (determined by Nurse Coordinator through participant response to questions regarding orientation to person, place and season - score of at least 2/3 is considered intact mental status).
  2. Present intoxication (determined by Nurse Coordinator through participant evaluation of odour, either alcohol or non-beverage alcohol).
  3. Currently violent or aggressive towards testers (determined by Nurse Coordinator)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Group A - chronically homeless
Men and women, greater than or equal to age 18 years, English-speaking, who are currently homeless and/or housed in an emergency shelter or housing facility for chronically homeless individuals ≥ 6 months.
Group B - control/formerly homeless
Men and women, greater than or equal to 18 years, English-speaking who are not homeless ≥4 times in the last 3 years and currently living in stable housing ≥ 6 months and in the last 3 years, has been homeless ≤ 1 month

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
The Quick EXIT score
Time Frame: Within 2 weeks of recruitment
Within 2 weeks of recruitment

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
The Colour Trails test score
Time Frame: Within 2 weeks of recruitment
Within 2 weeks of recruitment

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Claire Vayalumkal, BASc, MD, The Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

January 1, 2013

Primary Completion (Anticipated)

September 1, 2013

Study Completion (Anticipated)

September 1, 2013

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 25, 2012

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 22, 2013

First Posted (Estimate)

January 25, 2013

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

January 25, 2013

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 22, 2013

Last Verified

January 1, 2013

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 20120651-01H

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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