A tale from the Glass Dome: A narrative analysis of social housing, living conditions and recovery

Abstract

This article explores how housing circumstances in Norway may influence recovery for persons experiencing cooccurring mental health and substance abuse problems. In Norway, the provision of housing for people who are disadvantaged in the housing market is a municipal undertaking. National guidelines state that services should be recovery-oriented and enhance quality of life. Eight persons who received services from a community outreach team participated in the study. Data were generated through individual interviews and analyzed using a narrative approach. The participants’ everyday lives seemed solitary and isolated. Their housing situation and the housing market, coupled with public guidelines and practices, appeared to result in a situation of deadlock. Referring to a glass dome, the authors propose a situation where people see themselves as secluded from others, literally and metaphorically.