Homeless and Mentally Ill: An Analyses from the Perspective of the Residential Care Facilities

AbstractHomelessness resulting from a complex set of reasons is a growing problem worldwide, particularly due to the higher prevalence of somatic and mental disorders among homeless people. In Germany, there is a system of assistance to prevent loss of housing and overcome homelessness, along with various forms of assisted living for mentally ill people, especially residential care facilities. Aim of our study was to determine access routes of patients to such facilities in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) as an example of the situation in middle European countries. We performed a questionnaire survey in residential care facilities in NRW to determine the sociodemographic characteristics and service trajectories of residents. Based on data from 997 residents, 16% of residents lived in “not secure” housing conditions prior to moving into the facility (including 7.1% house-/roofless). The most common diagnoses were psychotic disorders and substance use disorders (SUD; also frequently in combination as dual diagnosis). Majority of residents from “not secure” housing conditio ns had no/only a few social support/contacts. Significant relations were found between housing situation before moving in and employment at the time of moving in, legal status, and social support. This clearly demonstrates that efforts to improve care pathways should focus on addressing individuals with severe psychotic disorders and SUD. Preexisting social support seems to be a major beneficial factor i...
Source: Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Mental Health - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research