Relationship between Homelessness and Mental Illness
Mental illness negatively affects a person’s way of thinking and doing all activities, in general. Homeless people are normally considered to be those ones who do not own homes or residents. Most of them live in the streets or other places that are not being fit for human habitation. Mental illness causes rather many cases of homelessness in the USA. The most affected mentally ill people are being at their middle age. Single adults take a majority of the most affected ones, according to different surveys. The mentally ill individuals are usually neglected by their families. Thus, their relatives force them to live on the streets where they face various security risks, some challenges of getting other diseases leading to worsening of their physical heath, and the risk of getting involved in drug and substance abuse. These all circumstances end up complicating their health further. Most mentally ill people do not get the needed treatment. Thus, they have their health deteriorating. It makes them more vulnerable and unable to stand on their own https://master-dissertation.com/write-my-discussion-board-post.html.
Relationship between Homelessness and Mental Illness
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), mental illness can be described as a condition that negatively affects a way a person thinks, feels or even impacts mood. Mental illness affects how the individual lives and how he/she relates to other people in his/her surrounding. This disease greatly affects the one’s ability to carry out his/her daily activities. For instance, the person who has been previously employed may not be able to do his/her work as he/she used to due before this state. It makes people irrational; and it brings the following perception into the entire community or surrounding. Other persons suppose that the mentally ill person can pose some danger to others.
There are several definitions of homelessness, as given by different laws and government bodies in the United States. However, most of these terms have some level of consensus on this subject matter. According to the National Healthcare for the Homeless Council, a person is considered homeless if he/she does not have a house owned. These are those people who sleep in public or private places that are supervised at night. The homeless individual is as well the one who spends nights on streets, stays in an abandoned building or within abandoned vehicles, and the one living in non-permanent and non-stable conditions considered unfit and unsafe for human habitation.
The link between homelessness and mental illness is evident in different situations. First and foremost, some of such diseases arrive with some level of aggression from patients. This nervousness may push relatives away from sick persons leading to their negligence. With some time, such patients end up leaving their homes and choose dwelling on the streets, hence, becoming homeless. As it has been mentioned before, mentally ill people may also lose their jobs. Therefore, they are lacking any source of income. With some time they are not able to afford paying for their homes. In this respect, therefore, it is obvious that mental illness in one way or another affects the individuals’ ability to keep their houses.
Based on the survey done by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, approximately 20 – 25 percent of homeless people in the United States of America are suffering the serious forms of mental illness. The study was conducted in the year 2008 by the United States Mayor’s Conference. According to it, 25 cities were surveyed and there were three major reasons of homelessness among the communities living in these cities determined. It emerged that 48 percent of respondents from the towns gave mental illness as the third largest cause of homelessness among single adults. 12 percent of cities also mentioned mental disease as a cause of homelessness for families.
There was another research conducted, which involved 78 people including children, women and men living at emergency shelters. The majority of them suffered psychological or mental illnesses that remained largely untreated. According to the study, it has emerged that 21 percent of adults being single and homeless were undergoing some forms of mental illnesses that were persistent and severe. 78 people involved in the above survey were the males forming 62 percent, and females containing 38 percent. 21.8 percent were under the age of 18, and 37 percent aged between 31-50 years. Meanwhile 14.9 percent were the persons between 51 to 61 years.
In the same research, about 71 of interviewees constituted 91 percent of the population and were given the basic psychiatric diagnosis. According to this conclusion, 40 percent suffered from psychoses, 29 - were deeply addicted to alcohol, and 21 percent were having personality disorders. Meanwhile about the third of those analyzed had previously been hospitalized for some related psychiatric problems.
The above information derived from different surveys provides a rather strong background that there is a connection between mental illness and homelessness. It can be evidenced by big numbers of the mentally ill people that are homeless in the United States, with about the fifth part of them. It can be attributed to some factors. One of them may be related to neglect from family members. Most of mentally sick persons are assumed to be irrational and dangerous. For this reason, relatives may choose to abandon them as they are viewed as security threats. It may force them to choose life on the streets eating garbage. Such individuals may be viewed as a burden to their families.
It should be repeated once again that mental illness and homelessness are tightly connected as discussed above in this paper. A big number of such sick people are being homeless and have been abandoned. There are many risks that they face. Therefore, if they do not have enough support, some of them may never get back to the normal community again. With the risks of diseases and other harmful things that may happen to them on the streets, it is very important to consider the following fact. Relatives, the government and society should give such mentally ill persons more love and care than they receive currently. Families should also stop looking at them as a burden but instead help them cope with this state of condition. Mentally ill individuals should be viewed as a part of community and should get the needed treatment. For those people that are not seriously sick, some job possibilities should be provided. Therefore, they may have a chance to earn their living in order to own homes. The case of mental illness and homelessness is serious in the USA. For instance, up to 1347 people spend their nights on the streets averagely in Miami- Dade County.
Relationship between Homelessness and Mental Illness
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), mental illness can be described as a condition that negatively affects a way a person thinks, feels or even impacts mood. Mental illness affects how the individual lives and how he/she relates to other people in his/her surrounding. This disease greatly affects the one’s ability to carry out his/her daily activities. For instance, the person who has been previously employed may not be able to do his/her work as he/she used to due before this state. It makes people irrational; and it brings the following perception into the entire community or surrounding. Other persons suppose that the mentally ill person can pose some danger to others.
There are several definitions of homelessness, as given by different laws and government bodies in the United States. However, most of these terms have some level of consensus on this subject matter. According to the National Healthcare for the Homeless Council, a person is considered homeless if he/she does not have a house owned. These are those people who sleep in public or private places that are supervised at night. The homeless individual is as well the one who spends nights on streets, stays in an abandoned building or within abandoned vehicles, and the one living in non-permanent and non-stable conditions considered unfit and unsafe for human habitation.
The link between homelessness and mental illness is evident in different situations. First and foremost, some of such diseases arrive with some level of aggression from patients. This nervousness may push relatives away from sick persons leading to their negligence. With some time, such patients end up leaving their homes and choose dwelling on the streets, hence, becoming homeless. As it has been mentioned before, mentally ill people may also lose their jobs. Therefore, they are lacking any source of income. With some time they are not able to afford paying for their homes. In this respect, therefore, it is obvious that mental illness in one way or another affects the individuals’ ability to keep their houses.
Based on the survey done by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, approximately 20 – 25 percent of homeless people in the United States of America are suffering the serious forms of mental illness. The study was conducted in the year 2008 by the United States Mayor’s Conference. According to it, 25 cities were surveyed and there were three major reasons of homelessness among the communities living in these cities determined. It emerged that 48 percent of respondents from the towns gave mental illness as the third largest cause of homelessness among single adults. 12 percent of cities also mentioned mental disease as a cause of homelessness for families.
There was another research conducted, which involved 78 people including children, women and men living at emergency shelters. The majority of them suffered psychological or mental illnesses that remained largely untreated. According to the study, it has emerged that 21 percent of adults being single and homeless were undergoing some forms of mental illnesses that were persistent and severe. 78 people involved in the above survey were the males forming 62 percent, and females containing 38 percent. 21.8 percent were under the age of 18, and 37 percent aged between 31-50 years. Meanwhile 14.9 percent were the persons between 51 to 61 years.
In the same research, about 71 of interviewees constituted 91 percent of the population and were given the basic psychiatric diagnosis. According to this conclusion, 40 percent suffered from psychoses, 29 - were deeply addicted to alcohol, and 21 percent were having personality disorders. Meanwhile about the third of those analyzed had previously been hospitalized for some related psychiatric problems.
The above information derived from different surveys provides a rather strong background that there is a connection between mental illness and homelessness. It can be evidenced by big numbers of the mentally ill people that are homeless in the United States, with about the fifth part of them. It can be attributed to some factors. One of them may be related to neglect from family members. Most of mentally sick persons are assumed to be irrational and dangerous. For this reason, relatives may choose to abandon them as they are viewed as security threats. It may force them to choose life on the streets eating garbage. Such individuals may be viewed as a burden to their families.
It should be repeated once again that mental illness and homelessness are tightly connected as discussed above in this paper. A big number of such sick people are being homeless and have been abandoned. There are many risks that they face. Therefore, if they do not have enough support, some of them may never get back to the normal community again. With the risks of diseases and other harmful things that may happen to them on the streets, it is very important to consider the following fact. Relatives, the government and society should give such mentally ill persons more love and care than they receive currently. Families should also stop looking at them as a burden but instead help them cope with this state of condition. Mentally ill individuals should be viewed as a part of community and should get the needed treatment. For those people that are not seriously sick, some job possibilities should be provided. Therefore, they may have a chance to earn their living in order to own homes. The case of mental illness and homelessness is serious in the USA. For instance, up to 1347 people spend their nights on the streets averagely in Miami- Dade County.
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