Illness In Mental Illness

The lack of mental health services available to the mentally-ill and the deinstitutionalization of mental health hospitals have created a public health concern. These issues along with a failed continuum of care plans and a lack of community mental health services have been major contributing factors to homelessness. In addition, the strict guidelines for psychiatric hospitalization are critical when analyzing homelessness. In many cases, only the critically ill are meeting clinical criteria for hospitalization, leaving those who have significant mental health problems to fend for themselves. The link between homelessness and mental health is acknowledged but requires reform.

In the United States the homeless population continues to grow rapidly. Homelessness has been a public health issue for many decades. Often times these individuals feel as though society has turned a blind eye to them. This at risk population is seen by society as lazy or chose to live a life on the streets, but if one would examine this population closely would see that there is more to this at risk population than what society has labeled them as. The forces, which affect homelessness, are multifaceted. Social forces such as family breakdown, addictions, and mental illnesses are in combined with structural forces such as lack of low-cost housing, insufficient health services, and poor economic conditions. Many would

According to the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH), disease was prevalent in the newly homeless. This population accessed health care services at high rates in the year before becoming homeless. Significant improvements in health status were seen over the study period as well as a significant increase in the number who were insured (American Journal of Public Health, 2012). The homeless in Overtown face a variety of risks and barriers to their health. Firstly, a good number of the population suffers from mental illness, they suffer from a range of mental health problems from depression, personality disorders, schizophrenia and many more. Most are unable to treat their mental

Homelessness as a result of deinstitutionalization in the US increased dramatically, tripling in 182 cities over the court of the 1980s (Bagenstos, 2012). In addition, mental health and substance abuse is a major problem in across the country because of homelessness. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration,20 to 25% of the homeless population in the United States suffers from some form of severe mental illness (DMHAS, 2014). Consequently, mental illnesses disrupt people’s ability to carry out key aspects of daily life, such as self-care and household responsibilities. As a result of these factors and the stresses of living with a mental disorder, people with mentally illnesses are much more likely to become homeless than the general population (Karger, & Stoesz, 2014). Even if homeless individuals with mental illnesses are provided with housing, they are unlikely to achieve residential stability and remain off the streets unless they have access to continued treatment and services. In Connecticut there are a number of housing options that are in place like supportive housing. Research has shown that supported housing is effective for people with mental illnesses (DMHAS, 2014). Unfortunately, in Connecticut, lack of funding is a significant barrier to the successful implementation of supported housing programs. Because of homelessness people cycle between street corner, jail cell and hospital beds, in addition the homeless who are

The homeless are impacted far more by everyday issues than those who are not. Often times, homeless children can be sick four times as much as middle class children and have superior rates of acute and recurring illnesses. In addition, they experience emotional and behavioral problems can hinder with learning at almost three times the rate of other children. “Homeless children between 6 and 17 years struggle with high rates of mental health problems. For example, 47% have problems

Canton et. al. (2005) used a longitudinal study to determine the risk factors of homelessness. This study included four hundred and forty-four men and women (18-65 years old) who volunteered to be a part of the interview study. The participants were interviewed every six months for a total of eighteen months. During this time psychiatric assessments were performed, as well as analysis of coping skills, family and social history. Two methods, the Cox Regression and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis were used to examine homelessness duration and baseline

Homelessness has been a problem in the United States for well over a hundred years. Major economic downturns have always had a large role in effecting the homeless population. However, the deinstitutionalization of the psychiatric hospitals in America has greatly increased the size of the mentally ill homeless population, particularly in large urban areas. This increase in homelessness among people with

After doing much research, I have learned that to develop awareness and interventions to be able to help the homeless population, we must understand their mental health and behavioral needs. The information they all share in common are the factors why a specific type of population became homeless. The interrelation of homelessness and mental illness are informed by many factors such as; the lack of support, extreme poverty, substance abuse, lack of affordable health insurance, and lack of affordable housing. The homeless population shares different struggles when dealing with homelessness and mental illnesses because there are not enough resources for them to be able to come back to their normal self. When it comes to their struggles, they

People with mental illnesses are at greater risk of homelessness. This is particularly true for people with serious mental illnesses, particularly those that might impact their reality testing, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2009). California, like other areas of the country, sees a relationship between mental illness and homelessness. In fact, mental illness may be one of the most significant risk factors for homelessness. Of people with serious mental illness seen by California's public mental health system, approximately 15% of them experienced at least one bout of homelessness in a one-year period (Folsom et al., 2005). Furthermore, "According to the Substance Abuse and Mental

A Pathways Project study found that two out of three homeless people in the country suffer from a form of chronic mental illness for which they need treatment (Wells, 2009). Secondly, socioeconomic adversity includes shortages such as low education, job loss, and eviction (Bradford, 2009). Lastly, traumatic experiences such as domestic violence causing psychological trauma are a predisposition to homelessness (Bradford, 2009).

Studies that take a deeper look into the rates of homelessness could lead to better treatment and help. It is especially important to study mentally ill homeless individuals that have substance abuse since these individuals are one of the most disadvantaged groups among homeless persons (Levine and Huebner 1991). There is no one explanation as to why an individual who is mentally ill will begin abusing their bodies with drugs, it is known though that when substance abuse and mental illness are combined contact with law enforcement is inevitable. All people with mental disorders, including those who are homeless, require ongoing access to a full range of treatment and rehabilitation services to lessen the impairment and disruption produced by their condition (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2003). Most people with mental disorder do not need hospitalization, what they do need is better housing options and more treatment options and but can live in the community with the appropriate supportive housing options. Further studies do show however that these community-based services are far and few in between and there is not enough housing to accommodate the growing number of patients affected by a mental illness.

In our communication they made clear that they also looked at themes that did not match, such a voluntary leaving of the home. However, no member took into consideration metal health. All members also focused on the cause and problems of homelessness with no member viewing the possible solutions to it. An article by Bassuk, E., Rubin, L., & Lauriat, A. (1984). “Is homelessness a mental health problem?”  Looked at Seventy-eight homeless men, women, and children staying at an emergency shelters and found The vast majority have severe psychological illnesses that remained untreated. The authors discuss the relationship of mental health policy to the homeless and suggest that shelters have become alternative institutions to meet the needs of mentally ill people who are no longer cared for by departments of mental health. The findings of the management of metal issues for those who are homeless is mirrored by the case studies of Stephanie’s and Teresa’s mental health playing a large role in their homelessness. Fischer, P. J., & Breakey, W. R. (1991) in their “The epidemiology of alcohol, drug, and mental disorders among homeless persons” look into the prevalence of alcohol, drug, and mental disorders and the characteristics of homeless substance abusers and persons with mental illnesses. They found that prevalence rates of disorders are much higher in homeless

The pathways to homelessness model attempted to determine if mental illness was a component for becoming homeless (Sullivan, Burnam, & Koegel, 2000). The study of this model examined the childhood of

On the night of October 25, 2012, shelter providers in Minnesota counted 7,961 homeless individuals in shelters and transitional housing programs and an additional 2,221 homeless individuals were identified who were not staying in a formal shelter for a total of 10,214 homeless individuals (Wilder Research Foundation, 2014). The count from October 25, 2012 is an underrepresentation of the total homeless population in Minnesota, since many homeless people staying outside of the shelter system are not found on the night of the study. Research and descriptions of the homeless population are extremely limited due to the many difficulties associated with identifying and describing this population (Bawden, 1990). Many researchers have focused on shelters and soup kitchens in attempts to engage and study the mentally ill on the street; however this strategy limits

Nationwide homelessness is a growing epidemic across the country. There are many ways an individual can become homeless, for the most part it is poverty. There are also different concentrations of homeless in different types of environments, such as urban or suburban areas. Last, there is the ever-growing homeless population, and how much money it costs us for others to live in poverty. A way we can help find the solution to this problem, is to know the facts about this lingering subject. People become homeless not because of lack of effort for success, but because of poverty, drug addictions, mental illness and financially unstable times in their lives.