The Homeless and Their Psychological Problems, Research Paper Example

Psychological problems are highly prevalent among the homeless. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, approximately one-fourth of homeless individuals are afflicted by psychological disorders (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2006). In some cases, these disabilities contribute to homelessness. While many believe that these individuals are homeless due to the high numbers of patients released from institutions in the 1950s and 1960s, the homelessness rate has increased only recently, suggesting that they become homeless due to the increased finances needed to treat their disabilities.

While some clinical studies of homelessness group individuals with different mental disabilities in one category, it is essential to understand that the homeless population does not have a consistent diagnosis. A study entitled “The Prevalence of Mental Disorders among the Homeless in Western Countries: Systematic Review and Meta-Regression Analysis” characterized the distribution of mental disorders in the United States and its surrounding countries (Fazel et al., 2008). They found that a majority of homeless individuals that are considered to have mental illness exhibit alcohol and drug dependence. Furthermore, psychotic illnesses and personality disorders are particularly prevalent.

Despite the diversity of the mentally ill homeless, there are many philanthropic and governmental attempts to aid these individuals. However, these efforts are made difficult due to the inability to readily identify many mentally ill homeless as such and many refuse medical care due to their mental state. According to the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine, “Homeless persons have higher rates of mental illness, substance abuse, and other medical conditions than the general population” (Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine, n.d.). Therefore, it is of utmost importance to find ways to help these individuals.

A major complication in treating the homeless is that they are not insured. Thus, these individuals will incur high expenses for therapy and medicine that they will never be able to pay back. In some situations, it could be these very expenses that contributed to their homelessness. However, a program known as Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) is a federally-funded health care program for the homeless population. While the program is not large enough to meet the needs of all homeless individuals, it is useful in helping the few within its means. Several outreach programs, such as the National Health Care for the Homeless Council wish to build upon this foundation to get the homeless the medical help they need.

While the National Health Care for the Homeless Council operates on the front line by initiating programs that provide mobile health vans for the homeless, they are aiming to ensure that the Affordable Care Act is extended to the homeless (National Health Care for the Homeless Council, n.d.). By definition, government-funded healthcare should be available for the homeless, but they lack the information and means necessary to physically enroll in the program. Furthermore, their lack of address makes it more difficult to have their enrollment verified. Therefore, many organizations are working to bridge these gaps to ensure that the mentally ill homeless have healthcare access.

Although researchers and volunteers have made progress towards understanding the relationship between mental health and the homeless and ways that they can be treated, there is still work to be done. Future studies are needed to determine how these individuals became homeless and if there is a way to prevent it. Furthermore, it would be useful to determine programs that would help reverse their homelessness status and provide them with the counseling and medication they need to function in their daily lives.

References

Fazel S, Khosla V, Doll H, Geddes J. (2008). The Prevalence of Mental Disorders among the    Homeless in Western Countries: Systematic Review and Meta-Regression Analysis. PLOS. Retrieved from           http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.0050225

Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine. (n.d.). Section Five: Effectively Treating the Homeless Population. Retrieved from http://www.pcrm.org/research/healthcare-professionals/medicine-curriculum/section-five-effectively-treating-the-homeless

National Coalition for the Homeless. (2006). Mental Illness and Homelessness. Retrieved from http://www.nationalhomeless.org/publications/facts/Mental_Illness.pdf

National Health Care for the Homeless Council. (n.d.). Outreach. Retrieved from http://www.nhchc.org/resources/clinical/tools-and-support/outreach/