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Causes of homelessness prevalence: R elationship between homelessness and disability
Author(s) -
Nishio Akihiro,
Horita Ryo,
Sado Tadahiro,
Mizutani Seiko,
Watanabe Takahiro,
Uehara Ryosuke,
Yamamoto Mayumi
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
psychiatry and clinical neurosciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1819
pISSN - 1323-1316
DOI - 10.1111/pcn.12469
Subject(s) - mental illness , psychology , cognition , population , psychiatry , wechsler adult intelligence scale , mental health , clinical psychology , cognitive skill , medicine , environmental health
Aim Many studies have reported that the prevalence of mental illness and cognitive disability is higher among homeless individuals compared to the general population, and the rates of mental illness among the homeless population have recently increased. This study: (i) compares causes of homelessness or barriers to escaping homelessness for people with/without mental illness/cognitive disability; (ii) reveals problems with the J apanese homeless policy; and (iii) proposes an effective and necessary support system. Methods The participants were 114 homeless individuals. A psychiatric diagnostic interview and the W echsler A dult I ntelligence S cale, version III were used to measure participants’ mental health and cognitive abilities. A questionnaire was administered comprising 17 items related to the causes of their homelessness and barriers to escaping from it. Participants were divided into four groups – with/without mental illness or cognitive disability – and F isher's exact test was used to compare the questionnaire results. Results Individuals with cognitive disabilities considered bad relationships with their family members to be the cause of their homelessness. Conversely, normal individuals considered their homelessness to be the result of debt more so than did individuals with mental problems. Individuals with mental illness had more difficulties escaping homelessness than did either normal individuals or individuals with cognitive disability. This tendency was observed most strongly among individuals with both mental illness and cognitive disability. Conclusion Most homeless individuals considered economic problems to be the cause of their homelessness; however, difficulties with human relationships were also important factors and were more difficult for participants to acknowledge. Furthermore, these difficulties were exacerbated among those individuals with mental problems.