Homelessness and mental disorders. An international overview

Abstract

This paper provides a short overview on the relationship between homelessness and mental disorders, based on the relevant scientific literature and other references like research reports, online databases and working papers. While early studies explained homelessness with the lack of housing possibilities and problems in the housing markets, modern examinations also consider individual reasons, primarily the personal vulnerability of homeless people. According to these analyses, one of the most important reasons behind homelessness is the evolvement of psychiatric disorders which lead to severe mental and social distortions in the normal functioning of the affected people. Based on international studies, approximately three-fourth of the homeless people suffer from mental disorders, which proportion is much higher compared to the majority society, and at least 25% of all housing losses can be traced back to psychiatric problems.