Understanding and addressing the mental health, well-being, and current situation of women experiencing street homelessness in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Kalkidan presented her first paper at the poster session of the 2023 Annual Meeting & Expo of the American Public Health Association in Atlanta, Georgia
This research project, conducted in collaboration with Addis Continental Institute of Public Health aims to assess the perceived effects of primary homelessness and urban environment on mental health conditions in low-resource settings. The project is part of Womher research school.
Details
- Period: 2020-12-21 – 2024-05-25
- Funder: WOMHER - Women’s Mental Health during the Reproductive Lifespan, interdisciplinary research center, Uppsala University
I am a PhD candidate from Ethiopia studying Global Health at Uppsala University in Sweden. I am affiliated with WoMHeR (Women’s Mental Health during the Reproductive Lifespan), the Center for Women’s Mental Health, and SWEDESD (Swedish International Centre of Education for Sustainable Development). I worked as a mental health professional and lecturer at the Department of Psychiatry at Dilla University in Ethiopia for five years.
My primary research interest for my PhD is “Understanding and addressing the mental health, well-being, and current situation of women experiencing street homelessness in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia”. I focus mainly on the policy arena for health and social protection for these women, their living circumstances, unmet needs, healthcare utilisation, coping strategies, pathways to homelessness, and lived-experiences. This research project employs interviews, storytelling, and policy analysis to understand the experiences of homeless women of reproductive age on the streets. The Photovoice study approach was utilized to gain a deeper understanding of the lives and challenges faced by the study population.
My research interests include topics such as homelessness, violence against women, health services, health policy, trauma-related disorders, women’s health, substance abuse, emergency psychiatry, affective disorders, and child/adolescent psychiatry.
Collaborative Partners
Addis Continental Institute of Public Health and Womher forkningsskola
Project members
Publications
Part of International Journal for Equity in Health, 2023
- DOI for Addressing the needs of Ethiopia's street homeless women of reproductive age in the health and social protection policy: a qualitative study
- Download full text (pdf) of Addressing the needs of Ethiopia's street homeless women of reproductive age in the health and social protection policy: a qualitative study
Part of BMC Health Services Research, 2023
- DOI for Contradictions hindering the provision of mental healthcare and psychosocial services to women experiencing homelessness in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: service providers' and programme coordinators' experiences and perspectives
- Download full text (pdf) of Contradictions hindering the provision of mental healthcare and psychosocial services to women experiencing homelessness in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: service providers' and programme coordinators' experiences and perspectives
Part of Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2023
- DOI for Media for advocacy of mental health in the Ethiopian context. Current practice, gaps, and future directions
- Download full text (pdf) of Media for advocacy of mental health in the Ethiopian context. Current practice, gaps, and future directions
Part of Psychiatry Research, 2023
- DOI for Prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults: Umbrella review of evidence generated across the globe
- Download full text (pdf) of Prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults: Umbrella review of evidence generated across the globe
Problematic substance use and its associated factors among street youth in Bahir Dar city, Ethiopia
Part of Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2022
Part of Frontiers in Public Health, 2025
- DOI for “Sleepless nights are a daily reality for us” how women experiencing homelessness in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia describe street life: a photovoice study
- Download full text (pdf) of “Sleepless nights are a daily reality for us” how women experiencing homelessness in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia describe street life: a photovoice study
Part of BMC Psychology, 2023
- DOI for Suicidality and homelessness: prevalence and associated factors of suicidal behaviour among homeless young adults in Southern Ethiopia
- Download full text (pdf) of Suicidality and homelessness: prevalence and associated factors of suicidal behaviour among homeless young adults in Southern Ethiopia