Screening and social prescribing in healthcare and social services to address housing issues among children and families: a systematic review
Kathleen Clapham,
Melanie Andersen,
Karen Zwi,
Susan Woolfenden,
Shanti Raman,
Kate Hunter,
Raghu Lingam,
Suzanne Sheppard-law,
Julieann Coombes,
Kerrie Doyle,
Natasha Walker,
Melinda Moore,
Lola Ryan,
Michelle Jersky,
Amy Mackenzie,
Jennifer Stephensen,
Carina Williams,
Lee Timbery,
Christine Erskine,
Jacek Anderst
Affiliations
Kathleen Clapham
Ngarruwan Ngadju First Peoples Health and Wellbeing Research Centre, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
Melanie Andersen
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Program, The George Institute for Global Health, Newtown, New South Wales, Australia
Karen Zwi
Population Child Health Clinical Research Group, School of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Susan Woolfenden
1 Community Paediatrics Research Group, Central Clinical School, The University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Shanti Raman
Department of Community Paediatrics, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
Kate Hunter
Guunu-maana (Heal), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, The George Institute for Global Health, Newtown, New South Wales, Australia
Raghu Lingam
2 Population Child Health Clinical Research Group, University of New South Wales Medicine & Health, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Suzanne Sheppard-law
Faculty of Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, New South Wales, Australia
Julieann Coombes
Guunu-maana (Heal), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, The George Institute for Global Health, Newtown, New South Wales, Australia
Kerrie Doyle
School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Natasha Walker
School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Melinda Moore
Sydney Children`s Hospitals Network (Randwick Campus), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Lola Ryan
Child, Youth and Family Services, Population and Community Health, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Kogarah, New South Wales, Australia
Michelle Jersky
Sydney Children`s Hospitals Network (Randwick Campus), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Amy Mackenzie
Sydney Children`s Hospitals Network (Randwick Campus), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Jennifer Stephensen
Sydney Children`s Hospitals Network (Randwick Campus), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Carina Williams
Youth Health Services, Community Health, NSW Health, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Lee Timbery
Sydney Children`s Hospitals Network (Randwick Campus), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Christine Erskine
Kidsafe NSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Jacek Anderst
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Program, The George Institute for Global Health, Newtown, New South Wales, Australia
Objectives Housing is a social determinant of health that impacts the health and well-being of children and families. Screening and referral to address social determinants of health in clinical and social service settings has been proposed to support families with housing problems. This study aims to identify housing screening questions asked of families in healthcare and social services, determine validated screening tools and extract information about recommendations for action after screening for housing issues.Methods The electronic databases MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Ovid Emcare, Scopus and CINAHL were searched from 2009 to 2021. Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed literature that included questions about housing being asked of children or young people aged 0–18 years and their families accessing any healthcare or social service. We extracted data on the housing questions asked, source of housing questions, validity and descriptions of actions to address housing issues.Results Forty-nine peer-reviewed papers met the inclusion criteria. The housing questions in social screening tools vary widely. There are no standard housing-related questions that clinical and social service providers ask families. Fourteen screening tools were validated. An action was embedded as part of social screening activities in 27 of 42 studies. Actions for identified housing problems included provision of a community-based or clinic-based resource guide, and social prescribing included referral to a social worker, care coordinator or care navigation service, community health worker, social service agency, referral to a housing and child welfare demonstration project or provided intensive case management and wraparound services.Conclusion This review provides a catalogue of housing questions that can be asked of families in the clinical and/or social service setting, and potential subsequent actions.
