Psychiatric disorders in and service use by young homeless people

Abstract

Objectives To examine psychiatric morbidity, including substance use disorders, and service use in young people with experience of homelessness. Design A cross‐sectional study of 34 new residents in a supported accommodation program in Melbourne. Current and lifetime psychiatric diagnoses were made using the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, third edition, revised (DSM‐III‐R). Use of psychiatric and related services was also assessed. Results Of the 21 women and 13 men (mean age, 18.1 years; standard deviation, 2.2 years), 50% had a current major DSM‐III‐R diagnosis, and 82% had a lifetime DSM‐III‐R diagnosis. The most common diagnoses were alcohol dependence, depressive disorders and cannabis dependence. Co‐morbidity was common. Few of the young people had sought or received any treatment for depressive or substance use disorders. Conclusions Young people with experience of homelessness have a high prevalence of depressive disorders and substance use disor‐ders, particularly alcohol and cannabis dependence. Despite this they have a low rate of service use. These findings suggest a need for closer interaction between mental health professionals and other agencies in the planning and provision of services to young homeless people.

Prevalence of Psychological Distress and Psychiatric Disorders Among Homeless Youth in Australia: A Comparative Review

“…Comparisons of lifetime rates of psychiatric disorders among Australian and American youth reveal very few differences [18,23,31,33,47,48]. Moreover, the finding of higher rates of psychiatric disorders among homeless youth than among domiciled youths in Australia is consistent with the American literature.…”

“…Table 2 shows that the rate of mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance‐use disorders and comorbid disorders are frequently at least twice as high among homeless youth than among domiciled youth in Australia, even though recent rates of psychiatric disorders may be reported for a shorter period in the homelessness studies. Furthermore, Herrman et al [23] and Hodder et al [24], but not Reilly et al [18], reported very high recent rates of psychotic disorders among homeless youth. However, as discussed previously, the Reilly et al study underestimates the prevalence of psychotic disorders among homeless youth in Australia.…”

Cannabis use among Australian adolescents: findings of the 1998 National Drug Strategy Household Survey

“…Homeless and incarcerated persons are not included in the NDS household surveys, yet this group of young people have particularly high rates of substance use and substance use disorders, including cannabis dependence. 28 The NDS household surveys also have some other general limitations. First, the validity and reliability of drug use estimates based on self-report may be affected by the illicit nature of the behaviour in question and the consequences and social implications of this behaviour.…”

The Prevalence of Mental Disorders among the Homeless in Western Countries: Systematic Review and Meta-Regression Analysis

“…Studies that selected solely elderly or juvenile people were excluded [30,31]. All the included reports were based on interviews with individuals.…”