Effectiveness of Lifespan Integration on Homeless Women with Anxiety at a Seattle Area Shelter

Abstract

The purpose of this mixed-methodology study was to explore Lifespan Integration as a treatment modality for homeless women at a rehabilitation shelter. The women had histories of trauma, intimate partner violence, addiction, mental illness, and psychosocial issues. This research utilized Lifespan Integration with this population in order to improve anxiety-related symptoms and increase coping skills. The researcher recruited 23 women from a local Seattle area women’s shelter. Each participant was randomly assigned to a treatment or control group. All participants completed the Beck Anxiety Inventory, Ways of Coping Questionnaire, and a demographic questionnaire before treatment. The women attended one-hour therapy sessions for six weeks. Those in the treatment group received four weeks of Lifespan Integration treatment as a therapeutic intervention, while the control group did not receive Lifespan Integration interventions. At the end of treatment, participants in the treatment group responded to open-ended questions in semi-structured qualitative interviews investigating their experience with this treatment modality. All participants completed the Beck Anxiety Inventory and Ways of Coping Questionnaire post-treatment. Those who did and did not receive Lifespan Integration were compared on anxiety and coping strategies before and after treatment. To assess the relationship between BAI and WCQ scores, a correlational analysis was conducted. The researcher analyzed qualitative interview data to investigate participants’ experiences and perceptions of Lifespan Integration treatment. The quantitative results indicated no statistical evidence of changes in anxiety and coping skills. However, the qualitative results supported the efficacy of Lifespan Integration treatment on anxiety and coping. The quantitative research findings suggested that according to the BAI results and WCQ results, the women in the treatment group did not experience a reduction in their symptoms of anxiety or an improvement in their coping skills as compared to those women in the control group. However, after thematic analysis of the qualitative interviews, there were suggestions of improvements in those areas, specifically with the use of Lifespan Integration intervention as a treatment strategy.