A guide to PIE research: creating a psychologically informed environment for research with women experiencing homelessness
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Author(s)
Type
Report
Abstract
Women experiencing homelessness have shorter life expectancies, poorer physical and mental
health, and worse access to healthcare than the general population. Additionally, many women
experiencing homelessness are survivors of sexual violence and abuse. More research is needed to provide trauma-informed support for this underserved group.
However, research often fails to create safe environments for these individuals to authentically
share their experiences, and this can lead to harm and re-traumatisation.
Staff at the Marylebone Project saw firsthand the negative impact that research had had on their
service users and suggested that researchers could benefit from approaching projects through the
lens of the psychologically informed environments (PIE) framework. The PIE framework was developed to help organisations design and deliver services that meet the
psychological needs of service users and staff. The framework is increasingly being adopted
across the homelessness sector and focuses on five key areas:
• Developing a psychological framework
• The physical environment and social spaces
• Managing relationships
• Staff training and support
• Evaluation of outcomes
This guide shares learnings from our work with experts by experience at the Marylebone Project
to create a ‘PIE for research’ which empowers women experiencing homelessness to safely and
authentically share their views and experiences through research. The guide offers practical advice from the experts by experience on how to make research more
psychologically informed in each of the five areas listed above. This advice is accompanied by
real-world examples of how the PIE approach was embedded into the SHE HEALS study, which
used arts-based methods to explore what holistic, trauma-informed healthcare looks like for
women experiencing homelessness.
The PIE framework is not prescriptive, and we do not expect that the PIE for research described
within this guide would work for all research projects or population groups. Instead, we hope to
offer inspiration for how the PIE framework can be adapted for use within research and to
encourage and support others to build PIEs within their own work.
health, and worse access to healthcare than the general population. Additionally, many women
experiencing homelessness are survivors of sexual violence and abuse. More research is needed to provide trauma-informed support for this underserved group.
However, research often fails to create safe environments for these individuals to authentically
share their experiences, and this can lead to harm and re-traumatisation.
Staff at the Marylebone Project saw firsthand the negative impact that research had had on their
service users and suggested that researchers could benefit from approaching projects through the
lens of the psychologically informed environments (PIE) framework. The PIE framework was developed to help organisations design and deliver services that meet the
psychological needs of service users and staff. The framework is increasingly being adopted
across the homelessness sector and focuses on five key areas:
• Developing a psychological framework
• The physical environment and social spaces
• Managing relationships
• Staff training and support
• Evaluation of outcomes
This guide shares learnings from our work with experts by experience at the Marylebone Project
to create a ‘PIE for research’ which empowers women experiencing homelessness to safely and
authentically share their views and experiences through research. The guide offers practical advice from the experts by experience on how to make research more
psychologically informed in each of the five areas listed above. This advice is accompanied by
real-world examples of how the PIE approach was embedded into the SHE HEALS study, which
used arts-based methods to explore what holistic, trauma-informed healthcare looks like for
women experiencing homelessness.
The PIE framework is not prescriptive, and we do not expect that the PIE for research described
within this guide would work for all research projects or population groups. Instead, we hope to
offer inspiration for how the PIE framework can be adapted for use within research and to
encourage and support others to build PIEs within their own work.
Date Issued
2026-04-30
Citation
2026
Copyright Statement
© 2026 The Author(s).
Subjects
Psychologically informed environment
Public involvement
Trauma informed care
Women experiencing homelessness