We know from one study on the experiences of homeless people with complex problems, that there is a:. Addressing the immediate and long-term costs of homelessness, can be significant. Putting in place services which prevent homelessness in the first place, and which help people quickly if they find themselves needing support, can help stop these costs escalating. This summary highlights the prevalence of mental health issues, traumatic childhood experiences and suicide attempts amongst people accessing low-level homelessness support services.
Impact of homelessness Not having a home can make it harder for individuals to find a job, stay healthy and maintain relationships. Many try to help and inspire others who are still working their way out of homelessness. The causes of homelessness vary but the most common are economic challenges, domestic violence, family issues, chronic health conditions, substance abuse, mental illness, PTSD, and lack of affordable housing.
Almost everyone knows someone who is touched by these conditions, however, many of us have natural support systems that can help us through difficult times. But what happens when those support systems fail? Jermaine grew up in Decatur, Georgia. Serious illness and the resulting decrease in income led Jermaine to become homeless at the age of He worked as a manager at a fast food chain. Jermaine told us that he felt like his life is in order.
Perhaps one useful frame is to consider homelessness across the lifecourse, by way of highlighting the factors that are coincident with, and contribute to, homelessness. Twenty-three percent of the homeless population in the US is under the age of Importantly, and signaling one of the central contributors to homelessness, a sample of homeless adolescents in Los Angeles showed that 32 percent reported a need for help with mental health problems and 15 percent met criteria for emotional distress.
The proportion of those with emotional distress was higher among gay, lesbian, or bisexual youth as well as black youth. It has been estimated that roughly three times as many homeless adolescents suffer from depression compared to other adolescents.
Homeless adolescents are also likely to experience violence : 21 percent to 42 percent report sexual abuse, compared to 1 percent to 3 percent of the general population, and about 40 percent have reported being assaulted with a weapon.
About 40 percent identify as LGBT. As with youth, homeless adults are also at greater risk of substance use disorders and overdose compared with the general population. They are also very likely to smoke tobacco. Homeless adults are disproportionately affected by psychiatric disorders , though it is difficult to estimate the true burden among this population, considering they are usually excluded from national surveys. Homeless people with mental illnesses tend to have less contact with family or friends and are more likely to remain homeless for a longer time period.
Older individuals are at risk of being homeless later in life due to lack of income. Specifically, those younger than 65 years old who do not yet receive Medicare or social security benefits and are unemployed may be especially vulnerable.
Additionally, older veterans make up a large portion of the homeless population, although the proportion of veterans who are homeless has decreased since In January , 47, veterans were considered homeless on a given night.
Therefore, homelessness is overwhelmingly coincident with socioeconomic vulnerability and with poor behavioral health, both mental illness and substance use. Which leads to the approach we might consider taking to mitigate the consequences of homelessness.
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