Yearning for compassion : the silent plight of the homeless in Malta

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to describe the lived experience of being a homeless individual in Malta. A shelter was selected as the site for data collection: YMCA shelter in Valletta housing up to 22 men, women, and children. Five semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with the five informants. A qualitative phenomenological approach to data collection was employed and thematic analysis was utilised to identify themes and exemplars. The life stories of the informants were characterised by a troubled past. Five major themes were identified: (1) homelessness is a disconcerting experience; (2) homelessness is not a choice; (3) stigma and shame; ( 4) lack of social support networks; and ( 5) helpless but not hopeless. The informants employed a number of adaptive coping strategies to deal with the daily stresses of being homeless. The informants identified two solutions to their homeless circumstance: moral support and affordable housing. The findings from this study may be used to understand the experiences of Maltese homeless men and women living in temporary shelters. Shelter sites offer psychologists and other care professionals a unique practice setting in which innovative interventions could be designed to promote the well-being and welfare of homeless men and women and their children.