Chapter 21 Homelessness and mental health

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the interrelated issue of homelessness and mental health. There are four categories or levels of homelessness according to a geographic location: street people or those sleeping rough; residents of shelters and hostels for the homeless; residents of hotels or bed and breakfast accommodation, often families placed in temporary accommodations for prolonged periods; and other unique situations such as staying with others—people without their own accommodations. Unemployment, poverty, and shortage of affordable housing contribute significantly to the homelessness problem. Mentally ill people are particularly vulnerable to such influences. Homeless people are disaffiliated from their families and society. Such isolation may have its origins early in life. Childhood histories reveal that experiences of abuse and placements away from the family home in institutional settings are frequent features of homeless populations. The symptoms of severe mental illness, including bizarre behavior, the sufferers' reactions to the illness, and the response of family members or other individuals, may directly or indirectly lead to mentally ill people becoming homeless. Symptoms of illness, such as social withdrawal, may reduce the availability of potential support networks, while the level of disability experienced may prevent the individual coping with independent living. The sufferers' lack of insight into their problems may lead them to reject treatment or accommodation that is offered. In addition, individuals with mental health problems are frequently rejected by their immediate social network and are stigmatized by the community at large.