How are mental health and homelessness related?
567,715
people are homeless on any given night in the US
140,000
people are homeless and have a serious mental illness*
250,000
people are homeless and have any mental illness
People who are homeless can be vulnerable to mental illness.
Homelessness can expose people to traumatic events that could make them more vulnerable to psychological problems, distress, and substance-related disorder. This can lead to a higher percentage of people who are homeless also having symptoms of mental illness.
Compared to 4.2 percent of U.S. adults that have been diagnosed with a serious mental illness, 25% of homeless U.S. adults have a diagnosed serious mental illness.
When homeless, people can face sleep deprivation, fears about personal safety, the loss of family and friends, and the absence of routine. In addition, losing a home and assuming the social stigma surrounding homelessness can be traumatic. Such trauma can contribute to feelings of helplessness and social isolation, both of which prominently contribute to various mental health problems.
Despite that emergency shelters can house some homeless people, they are loud, crowded, and have strict schedules that may not accommodate people’s job searches or other needs. Since you have to sign up every day, there is also no guarantee that a person relying on emergency shelters will have housing every night.
Studies have shown that having ever been homeless can be related to high levels of psychiatric distress. This study that examined homelessness as a risk factor for recovery from mental illnesses concluded that experiencing homelessness did predict psychiatric distress, and that time spent homeless correlates with lower recovery rates.
People who are homeless and experiencing psychiatric distress often cannot seek help, which can exacerbate their mental health problems. Without a home it is hard to receive treatment because treatment networks can be complex and finding help can be time consuming.
Because of the traumatic and stressful conditions of homelessness and the lack of support for the mental health of people who are homeless, they can be more vulnerable to mental illness.
People who are mentally ill can be vulnerable to homelessness.
Mental illnesses can interfere with people’s ability to perform duties that society requires in order to maintain a home. For this reason, people with mental illnesses can be more vulnerable to becoming homeless.
People with untreated mental illnesses can exhibit behavior that makes it difficult to maintain stable relationships with caregivers, family, and friends. Because these caregivers may have been supporting and keeping individuals with mental illnesses from becoming homeless, pushing them away can contribute to their becoming homeless.
Also, society expects people to be able to work and live in particular ways. Poor mental health can prevent people from maintaining proper self care and household management by themselves. Some mental illnesses can make it difficult for people to hold a stable job, and in turn, pay rent consistently.
The high rate of unhoused mental health patients after discharge shows that poorly treated mental illness can leave patients vulnerable to homelessness.
Studies in various states have shown the direct correlation between mental illness and future homelessness: in Massachusetts, 27% of discharges from state mental hospitals had become homeless within six months, 36% in Ohio, and 38% in New York.
Furthermore, poor mental health can also contribute to poor physical health that also creates difficulties. Mental illness can cause neglect for precautions against disease, which combined with poor hygiene due to the lack of shelter, can lead to higher risk of physical diseases. This multitude of issues makes it even harder to focus on finding and maintaining housing.
Because of the systemic lack of support for people with mental illnesses, they can be more vulnerable to becoming homeless.