Are the homeless mentally ill?

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DOCAre the homeless mentally ill?

08 July 2009In Australia, it is widely believed that most homeless people have mental health issues, and that mental illness is a primary cause of homelessness. This paper uses information from a study of 4291 homeless people in Melbourne to investigate these propositions.

The research found that neither proposition was plausible. Fifteen per cent of the sample had mental health issues prior to becoming homeless, and 16 per cent developed mental health issues after becoming homeless. For those who had mental health issues prior to becoming homeless, it was the breakdown of family support that usually precipitated homelessness. For those who developed mental health issues after becoming homeless, it was often their experiences in the homeless population that precipitated mental illness. Regardless of whether mental illness preceded or followed homelessness, most people with mental health issues experienced long-term homelessness.

This paper, presented at the 2009 Australian Social Policy Conference, concludes with a policy discussion.

Publication typeConference Paper
Publisher TypeAcademic research centre
CoverageAustralia
Permanent URLhttp://apo.org.au/node/17672
Views4775

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Homelessness

Social Policy

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