Asylum on the Streets: Homelessness and Mental Illness

Introduction

Homelessness and mental illness are often interconnected. Mental illness is a broad term that covers a wide range of conditions, from anxiety and depression to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Nonetheless, any of these types of mental illness can lead to homelessness, and homelessness can exacerbate all forms of mental illness. A study by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (2020) found that nearly one-third of people experiencing homelessness also suffer from a severe mental illness. This is not surprising, as a lack of stable housing can trigger or worsen mental health conditions. People who are homeless often face extreme stress, which can lead to anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. They may also struggle with substance abuse, as they try to self-medicate in an effort to cope with their symptoms. In addition, people experiencing homelessness often have difficulty accessing mental health care (Martinez & Burt, 2006). Without treatment, their symptoms can become more severe, making it even harder for them to find and maintain housing. As a result, addressing mental illness is essential to preventing and ending homelessness. Those with mental illness need real asylum where they can receive proper mental health carenot the kind of asylum that the streets give, where drug abuse, prostitution, and violence tend to proliferate and exacerbate the problems this population already faces.

How It Begins

Homelessness is a complex and often interrelated issue, and one of the most significant challenges facing people who are homeless is stress. Extreme stress can lead to a host of mental health problems (Elwell-Sutton et al., 2016). These problems can then upset a persons ability to function in daily life: it can lead to job loss, or to being kicked out of a home by a family or loved one, or to the abuse of alcohol or drugs, or to violence against others or oneself. All of this can build to a point where a person has no place to go. The person suffering from mental illness may not even know he or she has this problem. If there is rent to pay or a home loan that is due, the person who can no longer function because of undiagnosed and untreated mental illness will inevitably be left without shelter.

Homelessness itself can be a traumatic experience, and the added stress of living on the streets can exacerbate existing mental health conditions. In addition, people who are homeless often face other challenges, such as lack of access to food and shelter, which can also contribute to stress levels. While...…housing for the homeless.

Conclusion: Ending the Vicious Cycle

Clearly mental illness and homelessness can lead to a vicious cycle, in which people with mental illness are more likely to become homeless, and homelessness makes it more difficult to recover from mental illness. Ways to break this cycle can be found, however. They typically focus on housing and supportive services.

Housing and care are two of the most important needs for people with mental illness, as they provide a stable environment in which to recover and ensure that mental health is addressed. Housing is widely recognized as one of the most important needs for people with mental illness (Martinez & Burt, 2006). A stable and safe living environment is essential for recovery, and many people with mental illness are unable to maintain their housing due to the symptoms of their illness. Housing instability is associated with worse mental health outcomes, and people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness are more likely to experience psychiatric hospitalization, violence, and victimization. Access to treatment and support services is also essential. Mental health care should be treated like any other medical care, and people should have access to the resources they need to get well. This should include drug counseling services. Drug counseling services can play an important role in helping…