Separate and cumulative impacts of trauma-informed practices and a housing intervention on the safety, housing stability and mental health of domestic violence survivors over two years

Purpose: Trauma-informed practices (TIP) with intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors contributes to short-term improvements in their mental health. However, less is known about TIP’s long-term value for mental health and whether TIP’s value extends to other life domains, such as housing. Focused on the outcomes of housing stability, mental health, and violence experiences, this longitudinal study examined the contributions of TIP and Domestic Violence Housing First (DVHF), which is a novel intervention that engages survivors in housing-inclusive advocacy and flexible financial assistance.

Methods: The community-based, quasi-experimental study included homeless and unstably housed survivors (n = 351) who sought services for IPV. Survivors were interviewed across five timepoints over two years, assessing the services they received, including experiences with TIP. Participants also reported their housing stability, violence experiences, and mental health symptoms, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress. Based on the services they received, survivors were categorized as either receiving only services-as-usual (e.g., counseling, safety planning, shelter) or DVHF (i.e., housing-inclusive advocacy, flexible financial assistance, plus usual services). Data were analyzed using conditional random intercept models.

Results: Survivors who received DVHF and/or reported their services to be trauma-informed also reported greater housing stability, less violence, and better mental health over time. Those who both received DVHF and reported their services to be highly trauma-informed reported the most improvements in housing, mental health, and violence.

Conclusions: Study results suggest that DVHF and TIP can work in tandem over time to produce positive outcomes for survivors seeking housing stability, improved mental health, and safety.