Mental health articles

Homelessness and mental health Homelessness and Mental Health Issues 
Homelessness can be an extremely unhappy experience. Typical stressors associated with homelessness include lack of security, no protection from bad weather and poor nutrition. When homelessness occurs in the midst of great wealth, as in many cities, anger and resentment can arise. As a result, the homeless can suffer mental health problems. Especially important mental health problems are depression and drug abuse (alcohol, tobacco, sniffing glue).
Mental health problems can often be the cause of homelessness. The most important cause in
adults is a severe mental disorder. People with schizophrenia, in particular, may be discharged
from hospital without any planning, or may be abandoned by their families. The stress of being homeless is much worse since their ability to deal with everyday problems is already much reduced because of the illness. These people may end up in prison because they are found wandering in a manner that the police find threatening.
Homelessness and Mental Health Issues Provision for their basic needs, in particular food and shelter, will undoubtedly have a positive effect on the mental health of homeless people. You should look out for alcohol abuse and severe mental disorders; providing treatment for these can produce dramatic improvements in the person’s sense of well-being. Individual counselling can help, especially if you have built up a trusting relationship with the homeless persons. This involves regularly visiting the places where they spend time and providing sensitive care for their health concerns. The key to counselling is problem-solving; finding solutions to problems such as lack of secure employment, poor physical health and lack of shelter will help improve mental health.

 

Related articles

• Mental illness as a time bomb
• Mental Health and Older People

Tags: Health, homelessness, mental, Mental health, mental health issues