Mental Illness: The Problem Of Homelessness

The problem of homelessness is difficult to track in terms of increases in the homeless population; however, the high risk of mental health problems present in this populace is an undeniable and distinctive feature, the origins of which may not be as diverse as initially thought. One study found that a minimum of one third of the homeless population self report experiencing one or more psychiatric illnesses, and greater than half of this population reported addiction and abuse issues with alcohol, illicit drugs, or both. Other studies even document higher rates in the homeless, compared to approximately one fourth of non-homeless persons meeting the criteria for any mental health disorders, including those for substance abuse, in the past year. Even when compared to similarly poor but domiciled individuals, homeless persons were seen to suffer far more from mental health problems (Lippert & Lee, 2015). Other reports indicate that the estimations that 20 percent of working aged adults undergoing a moderate or severe mental illness is too high, because these reports are not based on medical diagnoses of these illnesses rather only symptoms present (Brinkerhoff et al., 2014). Although these results come as no surprise, as studies have consistently found that there is an increase in the experience of mental illness among poorer people compared to wealthier individuals (Brinkerhoff et al.,

Focus now can be devoted to stressors and coping resources among homeless people, how they affect the mental health of individuals across varying types of homelessness, and the effects of social support in the field of mental well being