Research demonstration projects in mental health and homelessness
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN42520374 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN42520374 |
| Protocol serial number | N/A |
| Sponsor | Mental Health Commission of Canada (Canada) |
| Funder | Health Canada (Canada) |
- Submission date
- 05/06/2009
- Registration date
- 18/08/2009
- Last edited
- 04/09/2025
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Mental and Behavioural Disorders
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
The Mental Health Commission of Canada is working with a national and five local research teams in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal and Moncton to conduct this study. The aims are to find out what kind of housing and support work best for people who are homeless and have mental health issues and to influence the government to create more long-term community-based housing and supports.
Who can participate?
Homeless or precariously housed adults aged 18 and older diagnosed with a serious mental disorder.
What does the study involve?
To find out which kind of supported housing works best, we are comparing people receiving Housing First with those in usual care. This means that those who agree to participate will be assigned at random to receive either Housing First (rent supplements and mental health supports from a case manager at one of two levels, assertive community treatment or intensive case management) or usual care (existing community services). All participants will be interviewed every 3 months over a period of two years and be asked to continue in a longer-term 4 year follow-up study. We ask participants to provide us with access to information about their use of health services, income assistance and any contacts with the justice system.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
All participants get a cash honorarium (payment) for each interview. We make the interview as comfortable as possible to reduce the risk of personal questions creating distress. Those in the Housing First groups get supported housing through the study and have access to a minimum level of support and additional treatment if they choose to use it. Rent stipends and case management supports will be provided for the duration of the study when we will try to make sure that their housing is maintained. If they lose the housing for any reason, we will help them find another place to live and either continue to provide services/supports or locate alternative sources in the community. There is an equal chance that participants who agree to be in the study will not receive housing through the study. For those who do not get supported housing through the study, we let them know about housing and support through other sources.
Where is the study run from?
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (Canada).
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
September 2009 to April 2013.
Who is funding the study?
Health Canada.
Who is the main contact?
Dr Paula Goering
paula_goering@camh.net
Contact information
Scientific
33 Russell Street
Toronto
M5S 2S1
Canada
 ORCID ID |
0000-0002-2976-2127 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +1 (0)416 979 6844 |
| paula_goering@camh.net |
Scientific
Departments of Psychiatry and Community Health Sciences
The University of Calgary, Faculty of Medicine
1215 – 39 Ave SW
Calgary
T2T 2K6
Canada
| ORCID ID |
0000-0001-5630-700X |
|---|---|
| cadair@ucalgary.ca |
Study information
| Primary study design | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Study design | Multi-method multi-site unblinded randomised controlled field trial |
| Secondary study design | Randomised controlled trial |
| Study type | Participant information sheet |
| Scientific title | Multi-site pragmatic randomised controlled field trial of Housing First versus treatment as usual in mental health and homelessness |
| Study objectives | What is the effectiveness, cost/benefit, and cost/effectiveness of Housing First in comparison to care as usual for homeless adults? |
| Ethics approval(s) | Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Research Ethics Board, 21/09/2009, ref: 252/2009 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Homelessness and serious mental illness |
| Intervention | Treatment: provision of rent supplements and case management or assertive community treatment for the duration of the study Comparison: care as usual Duration of intervention: Data collection will be ongoing from Sept 2009 to Feb 2013 with duration of intervention from 24 to 42 months. Duration of follow-up: 2 years. |
| Intervention type | Other |
| Primary outcome measure(s) |
Housing stability, measured using the Tsemberis Residential Timeline Follow-back Inventory at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months |
| Key secondary outcome measure(s) |
Quality of life, measured using the EQ-5D at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months |
| Completion date | 01/04/2013 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Other |
|---|---|
| Age group | Adult |
| Lower age limit | 18 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Target sample size at registration | 2225 |
| Total final enrolment | 2039 |
| Key inclusion criteria | 1. Legal adult status 2. Absolute homelessness or precariously housed 3. Presence of a serious mental disorder 4. Aged 18 years and older, either sex |
| Key exclusion criteria | Does not meet inclusion criteria |
| Date of first enrolment | 01/10/2009 |
| Date of final enrolment | 01/07/2011 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- Canada
Study participating centres
M5S 2S1
Canada
Toronto
-
Canada
Results and Publications
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | No |
|---|---|
| IPD sharing plan summary | |
| IPD sharing plan | Not provided at time of registration |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results article | results | 02/10/2012 | Yes | No | |
| Results article | childhood learning disability results | 22/11/2012 | Yes | No | |
| Results article | results | 01/06/2013 | Yes | No | |
| Results article | results | 01/06/2013 | Yes | No | |
| Results article | cumulative childhood adversity results | 12/04/2014 | Yes | No | |
| Results article | results | 13/04/2014 | Yes | No | |
| Results article | discrimination results | 07/09/2014 | Yes | No | |
| Results article | results | 09/09/2014 | Yes | No | |
| Results article | results | 14/12/2014 | Yes | No | |
| Results article | results | 01/01/2015 | Yes | No | |
| Results article | results | 23/02/2015 | Yes | No | |
| Results article | results | 03/03/2015 | Yes | No | |
| Results article | results | 01/05/2015 | Yes | No | |
| Results article | results | 15/07/2015 | Yes | No | |
| Results article | results | 29/09/2015 | Yes | No | |
| Results article | results | 12/09/2016 | Yes | No | |
| Results article | results | 21/10/2016 | Yes | No | |
| Results article | results | 20/03/2018 | Yes | No | |
| Results article | results | 12/07/2019 | 15/07/2019 | Yes | No |
| Results article | results | 02/08/2019 | 23/08/2019 | Yes | No |
| Results article | results | 22/08/2019 | 27/08/2019 | Yes | No |
| Results article | results | 01/11/2019 | 14/10/2019 | Yes | No |
| Results article | dental results | 30/03/2020 | 02/04/2020 | Yes | No |
| Results article | retrospective analysis results | 08/04/2019 | 15/04/2020 | Yes | No |
| Results article | results | 01/05/2019 | 13/07/2020 | Yes | No |
| Results article | results | 20/10/2020 | 28/09/2020 | Yes | No |
| Results article | violence-related traumatic brain injury results | 04/12/2020 | 07/12/2020 | Yes | No |
| Results article | association of resiliance with quality of life results | 04/03/2021 | 08/03/2021 | Yes | No |
| Results article | 01/04/2021 | 19/04/2021 | Yes | No | |
| Results article | 01/06/2021 | 29/06/2021 | Yes | No | |
| Results article | 01/01/2021 | 12/07/2021 | Yes | No | |
| Results article | 25/08/2020 | 29/07/2021 | Yes | No | |
| Results article | Women experiencing homelessness and mental illness in a Housing First multi-site trial: Looking beyond housing to social outcomes and well-being | 10/02/2023 | 13/02/2023 | Yes | No |
| Results article | Association of housing and support interventions with mortality among individuals experiencing homelessness and mental illnesses secondary analysis | 01/07/2025 | 07/08/2025 | Yes | No |
| Results article | 03/09/2025 | 04/09/2025 | Yes | No | |
| Protocol article | 14/11/2011 | Yes | No | ||
| Protocol article | protocol for secondary data analysis | 30/12/2020 | 04/01/2021 | Yes | No |
| Other publications | initial implementation | 01/10/2013 | Yes | No | |
| Participant information sheet | Participant information sheet | 11/11/2025 | 11/11/2025 | No | Yes |
Editorial Notes
04/09/2025: Publication reference added.
07/08/2025: Publication reference added.
13/02/2023: Publication reference added.
29/07/2021: Publication reference added.
12/07/2021: Publication reference added.
29/06/2021: Publication reference added.
19/04/2021: Publication reference added.
08/03/2021: Publication reference added.
04/01/2021: Publication reference added.
07/12/2020: Publication reference added.
28/09/2020: Publication reference added.
13/07/2020: Publication reference added.
15/04/2020: Publication reference added.
02/04/2020: Publication reference added.
14/10/2019: Publication reference added.
27/08/2019: Publication reference added.
23/08/2019: Publication reference added.
15/07/2019: Publication reference and total final enrolment added.
22/03/2018: Publication reference added.
24/10/2016: Publication reference added.
14/09/2016: Publication reference added.
