Homelessness and Schizophrenia

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Recommended: Links between homelessness and mental illness

Psychiatric disorders can lead to many types of problems. These problems can range from housing instability, to disease, and even death. Having a disorder and lack of stable living conditions most often further complicates the overall health and the care this is a bit confusing for a homeless adult. Without the proper health care the mind will become even more unstable. This does not automatically follow logically. Individuals with severe mental illness soften most times with homelessness because of their inability to accomplish daily tasks and earn money. Mental illness is serious and severe and can have a domino effect on one’s life and those surrounding the individual. The hand in hand relationship that homelessness shares with mental illnesses is disturbing. One of the many mental disorders that can lead to homelessness is Schizophrenia.

Stating that an individual has a mental illness can be interpreted many ways, however it is usually defined and understood as a psychological disease or disorder. The severity of the illness determines how much of an individual’s daily functioning will be affected. The ability to care for one’s self, a home or household and the ability to maintain an intimate relationship are lost. Homeless people with mental disorders remain homeless for longer periods of time and begin to have less contact with family and friends. Mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia or severe depression, can cause a strain on family and other social relationships (Hawkins and Abrams 2007). Studies have examined what the quality of life is like after discovering that one has a mental illness, those who become homeless and other studies focus mainly on treatment options. Suffering with a mental illness makes it more di...

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... Schizophrenia or Depression . Psychiatric Services, 53: 1456-1460.Retrieved from http://psychservices.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/53/11/1456.

HCH Clinician's Network. (2000). Healing Hands. Retrieved from http://www.nhchc.org/Network/HealingHands/2000/October2000HealingHands.pdf

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

The Internet Mental Health Initiative. (1996-2010). Schizophrenia.com. Retrieved from Schizophrenia.com.

The Merck Manuals. (2008). The Merck Manuals. Retrieved from The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/ag/sec07/ch107/ch107b.html

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2003). HHs.gov. Retrieved from HHs.gov/archive: http://archive.hhs.gov/news/press/2003.html

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