Most People Experiencing Homelessness Have Mental Health Disorders, Study Finds

Sixty-seven percent of people experiencing homelessness worldwide have a mental health disorder, according to areport published yesterday inJAMA Psychiatry. Additionally, the prevalence of mental health disorders among this population appears to be on the rise.“The relationship between mental health disorders and homelessness is complex and bidirectional,” wrote Rebecca Barry, Ph.D., of the University of Calgary and colleagues. “[M]ental health disorders may lead to situations that result in homelessness, or homelessness may be a stressor contributi ng to the development or worsening of mental health disorder symptoms.”Barry and colleagues combined data from 85 studies that investigated the current and/or lifetime prevalence of mental health disorders among adults aged 18 and older experiencing homelessness. The combined sample included 48,414 adults (77% male) from 19 countries —though about half the studies were from the U.S. or Canada.The current prevalence of mental health disorders among people experiencing homelessness was 67%, while the lifetime prevalence was 77%. Additional findings included the following:Males experiencing homelessness had a significantly higher lifetime prevalence of mental health disorders (86%) compared with females (69%).Substance use disorders (including alcohol) were by far the most prevalent disorder identified, with a current prevalence of 44% and a lifetime prevalence of 56%.Antisocial personality disorder was the second most comm...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: antisocial personality disorder homeless JAMA Psychiatry mental health disorders meta-analysis North America Rebecca Barry schizophrenia substance use disorders systematic review University of Calgary Source Type: research