Homelessness and Mental Illness

1993 ◽  
Vol 162 (3) ◽  
pp. 314-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Scott
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Homeless People ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Homeless Mentally Ill ◽  
Acute Distress ◽  
Co Morbidity ◽  
Pathways To Homelessness ◽  
Possible Cause

In Great Britain 1–2 million people may be homeless. Most homeless people are men, but about 10–25% are women, of whom about half are accompanied by children. Significant mental illness is present in 30–50% of the homeless: functional psychoses predominate; acute distress and personality dysfunction are also prevalent. Co-morbidity of mental illness and substance abuse occurs in 20%, and physical morbidity rates exceed those of domiciled populations. The homeless mentally ill also have many social needs. Pathways to homelessness are complex; deinstitutionalisation may be only one possible cause of the increase in the number of homeless people. There is much recent research estimating the extent of mental illness and the characteristics of selected subgroups of accessible homeless people. The evaluation of potential service solutions has received less attention. This review outlines the research, highlights current views on the definition and classification of homeless populations, and offers some guidelines on avenues which need to be explored.

Homelessness, Mental Illness and the Law

1997 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 341-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walid Abdul-Hamid ◽  
Colm Cooney
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Homeless People ◽  
Social Background ◽  
Current Debate ◽  
Major Difficulty ◽  
Legal Problems ◽  
Homeless Mentally Ill ◽  
Court Diversion

One major difficulty that faces both researchers and practitioners who work with the homeless is the lack of definitions and frameworks that assist better understanding of such people's problems and society's response to them. This article reviews the legislation dealing with homeless people's social, civil and legal problems. We tried to give this legislation's historic and social background, including a section on psychiatric disorders in this group because of then-relevance to current debate on homeless offenders. We then reviewed the legislation relevant to homeless people in general and the homeless mentally ill in particular, including the recently introduced court diversion schemes.

scholarly journals Management aspects of care for the homeless mentally ill

1996 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 158-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Timms
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Inner City ◽  
Severe Mental Illness ◽  
Social Service ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Economically Disadvantaged ◽  
High Unemployment ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
Homeless Mentally Ill ◽  
The Continuum

People with mental illness have always been marginalised and economically disadvantaged. Warner (1987) has shown that this is particularly true in times of high unemployment. Poor inner-city areas have excessive rates of severe mental illness, usually without the health, housing and social service provisions necessary to deal with them (Faris & Dunham, 1959). The majority of those who suffer major mental illness live in impoverished circumstances somewhere along the continuum of poverty. Homelessness, however defined, is the extreme and most marginalised end of this continuum, and it is here that we find disproportionate numbers of the mentally ill.

Can we measure need in the homeless mentally ill? Using the MRC Needs for Care Assessment in hostels for the homeless

1992 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 1027-1034 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorna I. Hogg ◽  
Max Marshall
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Standardized Assessment ◽  
Rehabilitation Services ◽  
Chronic Mental Illness ◽  
Needs For Care ◽  
Homeless Mentally Ill ◽  
Care Assessment

SynopsisHostels for the homeless contain many who are disabled by chronic mental illness but have little access to rehabilitation services. One approach to solving this problem might be to measure the needs of hostel residents in a standardized way and use this information as a basis for planning interventions. This study attempted to use the MRC Needs for Care Assessment Schedule to measure the needs of 46 mentally ill residents of Oxford hostels. It aimed to determine if a standardized assessment could be used in these difficult settings and if the needs it identified could form a useful basis for planning future interventions. Although it was possible to use the schedule, and although the pattern of need identified appeared broadly to reflect conditions in the hostels, it was not felt that the information produced was of sufficient quality to assist in planning services. The authors postulate that underlying this deficiency is the failure of the schedule to take sufficient account of the views of staff and residents.

Prevalence of Schizophrenia among Women in Refuges for the Homeless

1993 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 405-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelo Virgona ◽  
Neil Buhrich ◽  
Maree Teesson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Homeless Women ◽  
Lifetime Prevalence ◽  
Prolonged Stay ◽  
Psychiatric Institution ◽  
Homeless Mentally Ill ◽  
History Of

There are considerably more homeless mentally ill men than women. However the rate of mental illness among homeless women appears to be relatively greater than for men. We found the lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia among a cohort of 54 women residing in refuges for the homeless in inner Sydney to be approximately 30%. Only three of the women had a history of prolonged stay in a psychiatric institution. Schizophrenic women had resided at the refuges for longer than non-schizophrenic women.

Deinstitutionalization and The Homeless Mentally Ill

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (01) ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Sarada Menon ◽  
Jayakumar Menon ◽  
P. Poornachandrika
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Special Needs ◽  
Serious Mental Illness ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Homeless Mentally Ill ◽  
Public Body ◽  
Oxford Dictionary

According to the Oxford dictionary “Institution” is an important public body, a home providing care for people with special needs and ‘institutionalise’ is placing such persons in a residential institution. In the context of the topic being discussed, institution is a home for persons with special needs and similarly institutionalisation is placing the persons with serious mental illness, whether acute, subacute or chronic. Deinstitutionalisation is increasingly being projected as the most needed reform in the mental health care by many experts in our country, but the implications of this merit’s critical evaluation.

scholarly journals Deinstitutionalization and The Homeless Mentally Ill

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (01) ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Sarada Menon1 ◽  
Jayakumar Menon ◽  
P. Poornachandrika
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Special Needs ◽  
Serious Mental Illness ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Homeless Mentally Ill ◽  
Public Body ◽  
Oxford Dictionary

According to the Oxford dictionary “Institution” is an important public body, a home providing care for people with special needs and ‘institutionalise’ is placing such persons in a residential institution. In the context of the topic being discussed, institution is a home for persons with special needs and similarly institutionalisation is placing the persons with serious mental illness, whether acute, subacute or chronic. Deinstitutionalisation is increasingly being projected as the most needed reform in the mental health care by many experts in our country, but the implications of this merit’s critical evaluation.

scholarly journals Physical Co morbidity and Functional Disability amongst Mentally Ill Inmates in Nigerian Prison

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 234-240
Author(s):  
A Y Armiya’u ◽  
B I Lubuola ◽  
P F Tungchama
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Functional Disability ◽  
Demographic Variable ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Composite International Diagnostic Interview ◽  
Pulse Profile ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Co Morbidity

Comorbidity is the presence of more than one disorder/condition at the same time, and it is common among those with mental illness. Prisoners with multiple disorders are more disabled and consume more health resources than those with only one disorder. This study aimed at providing prevalence of physical comorbidity among inmates with mental illness and the relationship between physical comorbidity and functional disability among this group of inmates. The study was part of a comprehensive descriptive cross-sectional study carried out among 608 prisoners awaiting trial and convicted in Jos maximum security prison, Plateau state. Four sets of questionnaires were used namely Sociodemograhic Questionnaire (for demographic variable), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) for screening the prisoners for a mental health problem, Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) which is a structured clinical interview for diagnosing mental health disorders while Physical and functional disabilities were evaluated using the PULSE profile Questionnaire. Out of 608 participants 347 (57.1%) had mental disorders of which 63 (18.2%) had physical comorbidity, with infectious diseases being the commonest physical challenge. Functional disability (level of functioning) was significantly associated with comorbidity cutting across all physical disorders found in the study. The study found high physical comorbidity among mentally ill inmates in the prison studied.

Developing a Practice Model for the Homeless Mentally Ill

1993 ◽  
Vol 74 (7) ◽  
pp. 410-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Sheridan ◽  
Nancy Gowen ◽  
Susan Halpin
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Diverse Population ◽  
Federally Funded ◽  
Practice Model ◽  
Homeless Adults ◽  
Homeless Mentally Ill ◽  
Worker Characteristics ◽  
Traditional Service ◽  
Funded Project

There is a growing recognition in the literature that traditional service approaches are not effective with the homeless mentally ill. A specialized practice model rooted firmly in the special characteristics and realities of this diverse population is needed. The authors propose components of such a practice model, including practice principles, worker characteristics, and agency supports. Examples from a three-year federally funded project serving homeless adults with mental illness are presented.

Array of Services for Homeless Mentally Ill in Six Canadian Cities: Non-Governmental Organizations’ Contributions and Perspectives

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 9-24
Author(s):  
Alain Lesage ◽  
Carol E. Adair ◽  
Marie-Josée Fleury ◽  
Guy Grenier ◽  
Charles Gaucher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Homeless People ◽  
Governmental Organization ◽  
Frequent Contact ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Homeless Mentally Ill ◽  
Education And Employment

During the period 2010–2011, when the At Home project was conducted, a questionnaire was sent to 420 non-governmental organization (NGO) key managers in six Canadian cities to enquire about their collaboration with public services and their perspective on the services for homeless people with serious mental illness (SMI). NGOs constituted a dense network of collaboration among themselves. With regard to public services, housing and shelters were two services that NGOs had frequent contact with, followed by the healthcare addiction sectors and, to a lesser extent, social service and the justice sectors. Education and employment were both located in the network periphery. In general, NGOs viewed housing availability and accessibility to health services as largely unsatisfactory. They called for better public support, coordination, and funding.

scholarly journals Service innovations: a service for the homeless with mental illness in Aberdeen

2001 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 137-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angie Wood ◽  
Paul Sclare ◽  
John Love
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Psychiatric Care ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Working Relationships ◽  
Mental Health Team ◽  
Homeless Mentally Ill ◽  
Dedicated Service

Aims and MethodTo evaluate the first 3 years of a newly developed service for the homeless mentally ill in Aberdeen. All 86 referrals to the service between 1996 and 1999 were reviewed.ResultsThe majority of referrals came from social care staff and self-referrals.Half were diagnosed as having severe and enduring mental illness and of these one-quarter (11 cases) were engaged in long-term psychiatric care. A total of 744 in-patient days were required, only one admission was a compulsory detention.Clinical ImplicationsIt has proven possible to identify and engage with a number of homeless individuals who have untreated serious mental illness by setting up a small dedicated service that has close links with an established adult mental health team and which establishes close working relationships with colleagues in social care settings.

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