Understanding People that Live in Squalor: Individual to the Population Level Factors

Squalor refers to a dwelling that is extremely dirty, disorganised and verminous. The individuals who live in these homes are described by professionals as self-neglecting, reluctant to engage and showing poor insight into their surroundings. However, these views are often not shared by the individual themselves. The present understanding of those who live in squalor is limited, due to a research base lacking in both quantity and quality. Therefore, the aim of this research was to improve the understanding of individuals who live in squalor by summarising the present literature, informing future research and conducting original studies using novel methodologies and reliable processes and analyses.
A scoping review summarised the diverse literature and directed future research. Original studies investigated squalor at both the individual and population levels using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, including secondary data analysis, comparisons with a control, prevalence meta-analyses and multi-perspective interpretative phenomenological analysis.
The research in this thesis has demonstrated that squalor is present in 8-9 out of every 1000 households in England and that variables such as deprivation and income, which had not previously been considered in this field, are significant risk factors of squalor. Furthermore, it has highlighted the perspectives and experiences of professionals who work with squalor, including the negative effects that squalor can have on them, and the importance of the relationship with the resident.
This research has demonstrated that squalor may be more common than previously thought and that socioeconomic factors have a role to play in understanding whether an individual lives in squalor. However, overall, this thesis has both summarised the present understanding of squalor and informed the future academic and professional approach to the field. Furthermore, it has demonstrated that squalor research is limited by its lack of formal understanding and by access to the individuals themselves. Both of which will require a combined effort from academic and professional groups to overcome.