“Come together”: a thematic analysis of experiences with belonging

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore, describe and interpret two research questions: How do persons with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse problems, living in supportive housing, experience belonging? How do residential support staff experience promoting a sense of belonging for persons with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse problems, living in a supportive housing?,Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with five persons with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse problems living in supportive housing in a Norwegian district. In addition, one semi-structured focus group was conducted with nine residential support staff. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis.,Analysis resulted in three main themes: “I do not go to sleep in my pajamas”, “Do I have a choice?” and “Be kind to each other”.,More research on how inclusive practices that are commonly described in guidelines actually affect the experience of residents and residential support staff is needed.,Practices that incorporate a communal and contextual understanding when assigning supportive housing are warranted.,By paying attention to the components of social recovery, this paper provides a nuanced understanding of how persons with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse problems, living in supportive housing, experience belonging. In addition, residential support staffs’ experiences with promoting a sense of belonging for this group are explored.