According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 20 to 25% of the homeless population in United States suffers from a form of severe mental illness (National Institute of Mental Health, 2009). Mental illness is the third largest cause of homelessness for single adults. (National Coalition for the Homeless). People with mental illness who become homeless lack both proper medications for the illness and suffer from extreme psychological problems. It is often a challenge hosting and caring for individuals with mental illness because they suffer from mental issues such as delusions and bizarre conduct. The problem is that not enough is being done to deal with the growing population of untreated individuals who are left on the streets to fend for themselves. These patients are a problem to themselves and their respective communities. Their unpredictable behaviors threaten their well-being and the safety of fellow citizens. Those with mental illness are unable to function on a basis that allows them to take care of themselves, as a result their chances of survival are unpredictable. Those who are mentally ill are at an unstable position of survival because they lack the ability to be independent, such as providing for their everyday needs. Mental illness prevents stable …show more content…
It is indiscriminate and has no concern for one’s status, race, ethnicity, background, religion, and so on. Therefore the fear of homelessness is the fact that it can happen at any time.. As a result of the United States economic situation, there is a lack of jobs and livable wages provided for growing communities. The insufficient provision of financial aid is among the factors that cause homelessness. Unable to be financially independent, the homeless tend to meet their financial needs through illegal avenues. These avenues involve the interaction with drugs and
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Show MoreUntreated mental illness is dangerous and over time we have learned that locking people with a mental illness is not the solution but makes it worse. People with untreated mental illness face many consequences. “People with untreated psychiatric illnesses comprise 250,000 people, of the total homeless population” (mentalillnesspolicy.org). The quality of life for these individuals is extremely heart breaking, and many are victimized regularly.
The author provides evidence from different studies completed throughout the years. The author’s arguments and basic assumptions are valid. With the large amount of information provided in the chapter it bakes and valid the authors assumptions and arguments. The author’s argument did not have to persuade me. It did however give me more information to believe the system and policy dealing with mental illness individuals is flawed.
It is stated that thirty-eight percent of homeless people abuse alcohol and twenty-six percent abuse drug. Some drug addicts and alcoholics become addicts when they are homeless already. However, some become homeless because of being dependent on drugs and alcohol most of their lives. Since they are dependent on drugs and alcohol their family will give up trying to help them, leaving them homeless and without any way of getting help. There are over forty-seven thousand American veterans who are homeless and seventy percent of those veterans are suffering from some form of mental illness.
There are many causes for homelessness, but the biggest reasons include mental illness and incarceration, family and financial struggles, and substance abuse. Contributing factors to homelessness are mental illness and the flawed prison system. In 2010, California prison system
The purpose of their study was to establish a better understanding of the characteristics of the mentally-ill homeless adults. Upon the collection of data through a review of the archived shelter medical records of the 74 subjects included in the study, the researchers aggregated and analyzed the data, calculating the medication adherence rates for the previous 30days. Mental illness and substance use disorders in the study were identified in 67.6 percent and 44.6 percent of the participants respectively. These findings prompted the acknowledgement that homeless individuals suffering from mental illness that specialized transitional shelters serve constitutes of population whose psychiatric, social and mental needs are complex. Thus, the characteristics of homeless populations are complicated by the numerous needs that need systematic assessment and thoughtful addressing to enhance the likelihood of successful outcomes (Viron, Bello, Freudenreich, & Shtasel, 2014).
The issue of homelessness in America has been evident since the early 1600’s. Across the country men, women and children spend their nights on the streets not knowing when or if they will ever find a permanent home. States and federal officials or city councils have tried to alleviate or at least reduce the number of homeless over the last several decades at a city, state or national level but it continues to be an ongoing problem. There is a multitude of factors that account for the growing homeless population that affects each state in the country differently. Though there are many contributing factors that contribute to the amount of people living on the street at any given night in the U.S.
On a larger scale, more than one million people are homeless in America and of that population, 50 percent are chronically addicted to alcohol, drugs, or both (Substance abuse mental health, 2011 para 6). Research has brought more attention to risk factors that contribute to homelessness such as the epidemic of substance abuse.
Currently, homelessness has become one of the major social problems in Australia. It is common to see homeless people sleep at street sides in major cities like Sydney and Melbourne. According to the latest statistics from the ABS Census of Housing and Population, there are 105,237 people in Australia who are homeless at present (Homelessness Australia, 2016). In other words, there is one person who is homeless in every 200 people in Australia. What is worse, the rate of homelessness has been growing in most states in Australia in the past few years.
Women Living with Mental Illness and Homelessness-Stigma and Victimization • Serious mental illnesses are common among the homeless population as estimates indicate that more than 25 percent of homeless in the United States live with a mental illness (Bonugli, Escandon, & Lesser, 2013). • According to Deering, Duff, and Gibson (2011) the lifetime prevalence of homelessness in women was 88 percent, with majority women sleeping on the streets starting at age 17. • Rates of a mental illness among women are higher than that of men even though there is estimated to be more homeless men than women (Bonugli et al., 2013; Deering et al., 2011). • Among homeless women living with a mental illness, lifestyle, gender, high-risk behaviors, and exposure to stressful life events are risk factors associated with susceptibility. For women who live with this stigma, the risks of
As time goes on, the rate of homelessness rises as the population rises. Homelessness then was mostly caused by a family’s history of being homeless, drug abuse, mental disorders, and tyrannical leaders forcing his people into poverty. In modern times, several organizations are now trying to end homelessness by building cheaper housing projects more affordable to the poor and homeless shelters; these projects usually cost a fair amount of money.
making Mental illness the third major cause of homelessness. C. Most people believe it 's their own fault or it is over drug and alcohol abuse or just being lazy period, but according to rock center by Jessica Hopper believe it or not 20% of people that have jobs who are not on any alcohol substance or drug abuse are also homeless, which leads us to the requirement wages in order to afford a place to stay in. Not just in TN but in every state more than minimum wage is needed, Families need to earn a housing wage of 15$ an hour in order to afford a two-bed room apartment. Transition: it is very clear to us that homelessness is a major problem in our society, and that we need to take action, let 's look at some ways we can help to aid these types of situations. II.
In the United States homelessness has been a substantial problem for decades. The reason for homelessness is greatly debated especially
Disabled individuals, veterans and families are some of the demographic that is affected by homelessness. Physical ailments such as malnutrition, lack of hygiene, undiagnosed diseases and/or disorders can be detrimental. Mental disorders such as depression can develop due to the harsh circumstances of living on the streets. The lack of support, affordable housing and medical care that homeless individuals are receiving are prime examples of the need for compassionate and dedicated social workers to assist homeless individuals in regaining hope, purpose, and to evoke the strength within themselves. Living in shelters or public areas, homeless individuals are extremely resilience.
Homelessness is not a new issue as it has already existed for many years ago and the existence of homeless people is often being ignored. The reasons why they end up sleeping on the streets is largely because of individual factors (Main, 1998), which is contributed by structural factors (Cyndy Baskina, 2007). It is unsure whether homeless people choose to end their lives in this way or are among the victims of situations? Many researchers contribute homelessness to structural factors but advocates of human rights debunk this and highlights that the main reason for homelessness is due to mostly individual
The human body is a machine with a very complicated working mechanism. For a human being to be productive, his body should be in good shape and health. Therefore, health is a major determinant factor in our resourcefulness. All human beings are entitled to good healthcare. In a general perspective, healthcare is all about maintaining one’s health and improving the health of deteriorating bodies.