Skip to main content

Table 4 Baseline characteristics of study participants by need level and randomization group

From: Ending homelessness among people with mental illness: the At Home/Chez Soi randomized trial of a Housing First intervention in Toronto

 

Total sample1 (N=575)

Moderate needs2 (N=378)

High needs2 (N=197)

  

Control (N=174)

Treatment (N=204)

 

Control (N=100)

Treatment (N=97)

 
 

Mean ± SD or N (%)

Missing N (% of 575)

 

Mean ± SD or N (%)

P value

 

Mean ± SD or N (%)

P value

Demgraphics

Age

 

0 (0.0)

  

0.861

  

0.340

  <30

138 (24.0)

 

41 (23.6)

51 (25.0)

 

19 (19.0)

27 (27.8)

 

  30-39

134 (23.3)

 

41 (23.6)

47 (23.0)

 

22 (22.0)

24 (24.7)

 

  40-49

183 (31.8)

 

53 (30.5)

67 (32.8)

 

34 (34.0)

29 (29.9)

 

  ≥50

120 (20.9)

 

39 (22.4)

39 (19.1)

 

25 (25.0)

17 (17.5)

 

Gender

 

0 (0.0)

  

0.059

  

0.075

  Female

170 (29.6)

 

54 (31.0)

65 (31.9)

 

19 (19.0)

32 (33.0)

 

  Male

394 (68.5)

 

113 (64.9)

138 (67.6)

 

79 (79.0)

64 (66.0)

 

  Other3

11 (1.9)

 

7 (4.0)

1 (0.5)

 

2 (2.0)

1 (1.0)

 

Country of birth

 

1 (0.2)

  

0.668

  

0.610

  Canada

312 (54.3)

 

90 (51.7)

101 (49.5)

 

60 (60.0)

61 (63.5)

 

  Other

262 (45.6)

 

84 (48.3)

103 (50.5)

 

40 (40.0)

35 (36.5)

 

Native language

 

0 (0.0)

  

0.301

  

0.145

  English

369 (64.2)

 

104 (59.8)

123 (60.3)

 

69 (69.0)

73 (75.3)

 

  French

17 (3.0)

 

3 (1.7)

9 (4.4)

 

1 (1.0)

4 (4.1)

 

  Other

189 (32.9)

 

67 (38.5)

72 (35.3)

 

30 (30.0)

20 (20.6)

 

Ethnic or cultural identity

 

0 (0.0)

  

0.265

  

0.361

  Aboriginal

28 (4.9)

 

8 (4.6)

10 (4.9)

 

3 (3.0)

7 (7.2)

 

  Ethno-racial4

338 (58.8)

 

102 (58.6)

135 (66.2)

 

54 (54.0)

47 (48.5)

 

  Non ethno-racial5

209 (36.3)

 

64 (36.8)

59 (28.9)

 

43 (43.0)

43 (44.3)

 

Marital status

 

3 (0.5)

  

0.943

  

0.650

  Divorced/separated/widowed

152 (26.4)

 

51 (29.3)

57 (28.1)

 

25 (25.0)

19 (20.0)

 

  Married/cohabitating   with partner

21 (3.7)

 

6 (3.4)

8 (3.9)

 

4 (4.0)

3 (3.2)

 

Single, never married

399 (69.4)

 

117 (67.2)

138 (68.0)

 

71 (71.0)

73 (76.8)

 

Number of children

 

8 (1.4)

  

0.260

  

0.105

  0

410 (71.3)

 

125 (72.7)

139 (68.1)

 

74 (77.1)

72 (75.8)

 

  1

80 (13.9)

 

23 (13.4)

38 (18.6)

 

8 (8.3)

11 (11.6)

 

  2

55 (9.6)

 

18 (10.5)

15 (7.4)

 

14 (14.6)

8 (8.4)

 

  ≥3

22 (3.8)

 

6 (3.5)

12 (5.9)

 

0 (0.0)

4 (4.2)

 

Homelessness

Current status

 

0 (0.0)

  

0.633

  

0.284

  Absolutely homeless

535 (93.0)

 

161 (92.5)

186 (91.2)

 

97 (97.0)

91 (93.8)

 

  Precariously housed

40 (7.0)

 

13 (7.5)

18 (8.8)

 

3 (3.0)

6 (6.2)

0.207

Total length of homelessness During lifetime (years)

5.25 ± 6.19

13 (2.3)

4.86 ± 5.82

4.56 ± 5.63

0.599

7.13 ± 7.34

5.57 ± 6.42

0.122

Longest period of homelessness (years)

2.92 ± 4.54

8 (1.4)

2.58 ± 3.61

2.50 ± 4.12

0.855

4.07 ± 5.81

3.29 ± 5.27

0.388

Education and employment

Education history

 

2 (0.3)

  

0.346

  

0.273

  < High school

279 (48.5)

 

75 (43.4)

103 (50.5)

 

53 (53.5)

48 (49.5)

 

  Completed high school

108 (18.8)

 

36 (20.8)

34 (16.7)

 

22 (22.2)

16 (16.5)

 

  Some post-secondary school

186 (32.3)

 

62 (35.8)

67 (32.8)

 

24 (24.2)

33 (34.0)

 

Employment status

 

2 (0.3)

  

0.924

  

0.975

  Unemployed

549 (95.5)

 

165 (94.8)

193 (94.6)

 

97 (98.0)

94 (97.9)

 

  Employed

24 (4.2)

 

9 (5.2)

11 (5.4)

 

2 (2.0)

2 (2.1)

 

Mental health

MCAS

 

0 (0.0)

  

0.224

  

0.931

  More disability (17-47)

29 (5.0)

 

0 (0.0)

1 (0.5)

 

14 (14.0)

14 (14.4)

 

  Some disability (48-62)

192 (33.4)

 

14 (8.0)

9 (4.4)

 

86 (86.0)

83 (85.6)

 

  Mild disability (63-85)

354 (61.6)

 

160 (92.0)

194 (95.1)

 

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

 

Documented health record of a mental disorder

161 (28.0)

9 (1.6)

36 (20.7)

44 (22.1)

0.739

44 (44.4)

37 (39.4)

0.475

MINI Results

 

0 (0.0)

      

  Current depressive episode

206 (35.8)

 

79 (45.4)

92 (45.1)

0.953

18 (18.0)

17 (17.5)

0.931

  Current manic   Episode or hypomanic episode

61 (10.6)

 

16 (9.2)

25 (12.3)

0.340

7 (7.0)

13 (13.4)

0.137

  Current PTSD

134 (23.3)

 

48 (27.6)

61 (29.9)

0.620

11 (11.0)

14 (14.4)

0.469

  Current panic disorder

81 (14.1)

 

34 (19.5)

38 (18.6)

0.822

3 (3.0)

6 (6.2)

0.284

  Current mood disorder   with psychotic features

119 (20.7)

 

33 (19.0)

38 (18.6)

0.933

25 (25.0)

23 (23.7)

0.833

  Current psychotic disorder

215 (37.4)

 

44 (25.3)

55 (27.0)

0.712

60 (60.0)

56 (57.7)

0.746

  Current alcohol dependence

166 (28.9)

 

57 (32.8)

48 (23.5)

0.046

30 (30.0)

31 (32.0)

0.766

  Current substance dependence

218 (37.9)

 

69 (39.7)

74 (36.3)

0.499

32 (32.0)

43 (44.3)

0.075

  Current alcohol abuse

80 (13.9)

 

17 (9.8)

30 (14.7)

0.147

16 (16.0)

17 (17.5)

0.774

  Current substance abuse

52 (9.0)

 

13 (7.5)

19 (9.3)

0.521

8 (8.0)

12 (12.4)

0.310

  Current suicidality

    

0.127

  

0.589

   Low

203 (35.3)

 

64 (36.8)

73 (35.8)

 

38 (38.0)

28 (28.9)

 

   Moderate

112 (19.5)

 

47 (27.0)

37 (18.1)

 

13 (13.0)

15 (15.5)

 

   High

60 (10.4)

 

15 (8.6)

25 (12.3)

 

9 (9.0)

11 (11.3)

 

Functional and cognitive impairment

Cognitive impairment

        

  Was in special class in school

170 (29.6)

18 (3.1)

48 (28.1)

58 (29.3)

0.796

30 (30.6)

34 (37.8)

0.300

  Received extra help   with learning in school

196 (34.1)

18 (3.1)

63 (36.8)

62 (31.3)

0.263

33 (34.0)

38 (41.8)

0.274

  Thinks that has learning   problem/disability

207 (36.0)

22 (3.8)

70 (41.4)

62 (31.3)

0.044

37 (39.4)

38 (41.3)

0.787

  Was told have learning   problem/disability

180 (31.3)

19 (3.3)

56 (33.3)

57 (28.6)

0.332

33 (34.4)

34 (36.6)

0.754

  Functional Impairment

        

  Needs assistance to meet   nutritional needs

101 (17.6)

1 (0.2)

21 (12.1)

30 (14.8)

0.443

20 (20.0)

30 (30.9)

0.078

  Needs assistance to maintain   adequate personal hygiene

129 (22.4)

0 (0.0)

23 (13.2)

25 (12.3)

0.779

42 (42.0)

39 (40.2)

0.798

  Needs assistance/unwilling to   access needed resources

413 (71.8)

1 (0.2)

110 (63.2)

141 (69.5)

0.200

79 (79.0)

83 (85.6)

0.228

  Needs assistance to   manage finances

425 (73.9)

2 (0.3)

126 (72.4)

136 (67.0)

0.255

79 (79.8)

84 (86.6)

0.203

  Needs assistance to acquire   and maintain social network

455 (79.1)

0 (0.0)

127 (73.0)

163 (79.9)

0.113

85 (85.0)

80 (82.5)

0.631

Referral sources

 

0 (0.0)

  

0.309

  

0.112

Community health centres

5 (1.0)

 

2 (1.1)

1(0.5)

 

2 (2.0)

0 (0.0)

 

CMHA (Canadian Mental Health Association)

31 (5.4)

 

10 (5.7)

7 (3.4)

 

5 (5.0)

9 (9.3)

 

Drop-ins

67 (11.7)

 

21 (12.1)

26 (12.7)

 

12 (12.0)

8 (8.2)

 

Hospitals

80 (13.9)

 

12 (6.9)

21 (10.3)

 

25 (25.0)

22 (22.7)

 

Social supports programs and justice systems6

25 (4.3)

 

6 (3.4)

11 (5.4)

 

2 (2.0)

6 (6.2)

 

Mental health services

45 (7.8)

 

10 (5.7)

24 (11.8)

 

8 (8.0)

3 (3.1)

 

Other7

27 (4.7)

 

9 (5.2)

12 (5.9)

 

5 (5.0)

1 (1.0)

 

Outreach programs

57 (9.9)

 

15 (8.6)

17 (8.3)

 

9 (9.0)

16 (16.5)

 

Shelters

238 (41.4)

 

89 (51.1)

85 (41.7)

 

32 (32.0)

32 (33.0)

 
  1. 1 For the total sample, percentages shown were calculated as proportion of the total sample (N = 575) and therefore the column totals for each variables will not add up to 100% if data was missing (see adjacent column with N and % Missing in total sample).
  2. 2 For calculation of the moderate needs and high needs group values, percentages are calculated out of the total available data (excluding missing), therefore column totals for each variables add up to 100%. However, questions with “yes/no” answers, only the proportion of individuals who indicated “yes” are provided)
  3. 3 “Other” category includes individuals who identify as Transgendered, Transsexual or Other.
  4. 4 “Ethno-racial” includes participants who indicated the following ethnicities: Black (includes Black-Africa, Black-Caribbean, and Black-Canada), East Asian, Indian-Caribbean, Latin American, Middle Eastern, South Asian, South-East Asian and Mixed Ethnicity.
  5. 5 The “Non Ethno-Racial” category includes participants who indicated the following ethnicities: White-Canada, White-Europe and Other.
  6. 6 This category includes Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program (both provincial social support programs) as well as various justice system referrals (including jails, bail programs, and probation and parole offices).
  7. 7 The “Other” category includes the City of Toronto Assessment and Referral Centre (ARC), Aboriginal Legal Services, hospitals outside of the city of Toronto, self-referrals and any other agencies who did not clearly fit into any of the other categories.