Hemlösas upplevelser av deras livssituation och bemötande från socialtjänsten

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this study is to investigate the situation of homeless people, how they perceive the efforts of the social-services and what opportunities and limitations there is for homeless people to live a health-promoting life. Through qualitative interviews with five acute homeless people I interpreted the results based on the salutogenic perspective of KASAM and the theory of relational power. Results show that homeless people are a vulnerable group with a weak social network, a life characterized by addiction and mental healthproblems and with a limited participation in the society. They express both positive and negative experiences of the social-services, mostly negative. Despite their difficult situation, I found that they have the potential to live a health-promoting life if they are able to manage their existence by accessing alternative social resources such as significant relationships or a religious belief, meaningful activities and the understanding of how they ended up in this situation. Homeless people would like for the social-services to work faster and to design requirements and support based on their individual conditions and needs. Priority initiatives include housing, drugtreatment, occupation and support through good relationships and conversations.