The portfolio thesis is comprised of three parts: a systematic literature review, an empirical paper, and supporting appendices.Part one is a systematic literature review, exploring the themes that represent the experiences of people experiencing homelessness in the context of seeking help from UK health services. Twenty-two articles were critically quality assessed, and a thematic synthesis was performed to analyse and synthesise the findings. There were three super-ordinate themes generated which represented positive and negative experiences of help-seeking for people experiencing homelessness at the individual, service, and social-contextual levels. Implications for services, policy and future research are outlined to facilitate people experiencing homelessness seeking health support.Part two is an empirical paper, exploring the role of alcohol and what helps and hinders access to alcohol treatment for people experiencing homelessness and alcohol dependence. A sample of seven participants, combining people experiencing homelessness and alcohol dependence and outreach and key workers, engaged with semi-structured interviews. Interviews were thematically analysed to identify five themes describing the role of alcohol and the capability, opportunity and motivation factors that help and hinder access to alcohol treatment for people experiencing homelessness and alcohol dependence. Clinical and research implications are discussed to aid engagement with people experiencing homelessness and alcohol dependence.Part three accumulates the appendices that accompany the systematic literature review and the empirical paper, including a reflective statement and epistemological statement to inform the context of the thesis portfolio
