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On becoming homeless: A study of chronically mentally ill persons
Author(s) -
Belcher John R.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.585
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1520-6629
pISSN - 0090-4392
DOI - 10.1002/1520-6629(198904)17:2<173::aid-jcop2290170209>3.0.co;2-6
Subject(s) - disadvantaged , mentally ill , psychology , qualitative research , psychiatry , naturalistic observation , clinical psychology , gerontology , medicine , mental health , social psychology , mental illness , sociology , social science , political science , law
A naturalistic study that focuses on the process of homelessness after psychiatric hospitalization is presented. The posthospital adjustments of 132 former patients were examined for 6 months. Thirty‐six percent of these individuals became homeless, and a qualitative research approach was used to frame four categories that described how individuals in each category moved into homelessness. Categories identified were the Wanderers, Tenuous Planners, Socially Disadvantaged Homeless, and the Dropouts. Suggestions of how to reintegrate them back into the community after hospitalization are presented.