Mental illness and mortality among homeless people

Nutritional assessment of charitable meal programmes serving homeless people in Toronto

“…Not only do the EAR represent medians of the requirement distribution for any one age-sex grouping, but these estimates are also designed to apply to healthy people. Given the high levels of poor health (4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14) and nutrient inadequacies (20) documented among samples of homeless groups in Canada, it is likely that some of their nutrient requirements exceed the estimates used. Furthermore, at any given time, some proportion of homeless women are pregnant (54) , elevating their nutrient requirements.…”

“…living in public spaces or temporary accommodation because they lack safe, secure housing) swells (1)(2)(3) , communities across Canada are struggling to establish and sustain effective responses. Vulnerability to poorer physical (4)(5)(6) and mental health (7)(8)(9)(10) , poorer self-rated health (11) and higher rates of mortality (8,(12)(13)(14) are well-documented among homeless individuals in Canada. Furthermore, a growing body of research suggests that the food and nutrition needs of many homeless people are poorly met (15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20) .…”

Gender differences in mental health service utilization among respondents reporting depression in a national health survey

“…Homeless and institutionalized people were not surveyed in the CCHS. Both populations would be expected to have higher than average rates of depression, and potentially inadequate access to care [50,51]. This analysis did not include non-medical providers, so it is plausible that people with depression are seeing alternative providers such as psychologists, social workers, clergy [38,39].…”

Healthcare Barriers among Severely Mentally Ill Homeless Adults: Evidence from the Five-site Health and Risk Study

“…Other studies have shown that homeless people with severe mental illness report more psychiatric hospitalizations than their housed counterparts (Folsom et al, 2005;North & Smith, 1993;Padgett & Streuning, 1990;Robertson, 1986). Deinstitutionalization and the subsequent failure of the community mental healthcare system to respond to the multitude of needs of people with severe mental illness, the general inaccessibility of healthcare to persons who are homeless, and the pressures of extreme poverty-such as the exigencies of obtaining food over healthcare-have all been cited as factors that may contribute to, or exacerbate, the problem of homelessness for adults with chronic and disabling psychiatric disorders (Bachrach, 1992;Bradford, Gaynes, Kim, Kaufman, & Weinberger, 2005;Folsom & Jeste, 2002;Hwang, 2001;Kushel, Gupta, Gee, & Haas, 2005).…”