Biomaterial Database

Risks factors for homelessness among people with psychotic disorders. 2000

S M Odell, and M J Commander

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, University of Leeds, UK.

BACKGROUND Although it is widely accepted that rates of severe mental illness amongst single homeless people are high, little is known about the reasons these individuals become homeless. This study aimed to identify risk factors for homelessness among people with psychotic disorders. METHODS A matched case-control study of homeless and never homeless people with psychotic disorders was carried out, with respondents recruited from mental health services (N = 39 pairs). Data were collected by semi-structured interviews and from medical records. RESULTS A number of social and behavioural risk factors were identified; key factors being loss of contact with childhood carers, and substance use. Clinical and service use factors appeared less important as predictors of homelessness. CONCLUSIONS Mental health services have a limited role in circumventing homelessness among people with psychotic disorders. An integrated approach involving other key agencies is required.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D011569	Psychiatric Status Rating Scales	Standardized procedures utilizing rating scales or interview schedules carried out by health personnel for evaluating the degree of mental illness.	Factor Construct Rating Scales (FCRS),Katz Adjustment Scales,Lorr's Inpatient Multidimensional Psychiatric Rating Scale,Wittenborn Scales,Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale,Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview
D011618	Psychotic Disorders	Disorders in which there is a loss of ego boundaries or a gross impairment in reality testing with delusions or prominent hallucinations. (From DSM-IV, 1994)	Psychoses,Psychosis, Brief Reactive,Schizoaffective Disorder,Schizophreniform Disorders,Psychosis,Brief Reactive Psychoses,Brief Reactive Psychosis,Disorder, Psychotic,Disorder, Schizoaffective,Disorder, Schizophreniform,Disorders, Psychotic,Disorders, Schizoaffective,Disorders, Schizophreniform,Psychoses, Brief Reactive,Psychotic Disorder,Reactive Psychoses, Brief,Reactive Psychosis, Brief,Schizoaffective Disorders,Schizophreniform Disorder
D005260	Female		Females
D006703	Ill-Housed Persons	Persons without adequate housing or without permanent residence. The concept excludes nomadic peoples.	Homeless Persons,Homeless Shelters,Shelterless Persons,Shelters for Homeless Persons,Street People,Unhoused Persons,Homelessness,Homeless Person,Homeless Shelter,Ill Housed Persons,Ill-Housed Person,People, Street,Person, Homeless,Person, Ill-Housed,Person, Shelterless,Person, Unhoused,Persons, Homeless,Persons, Ill-Housed,Persons, Shelterless,Persons, Unhoused,Shelter, Homeless,Shelterless Person,Shelters, Homeless,Unhoused Person
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000293	Adolescent	A person 13 to 18 years of age.	Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D012189	Retrospective Studies	Studies used to test etiologic hypotheses in which inferences about an exposure to putative causal factors are derived from data relating to characteristics of persons under study or to events or experiences in their past. The essential feature is that some of the persons under study have the disease or outcome of interest and their characteristics are compared with those of unaffected persons.	Retrospective Study,Studies, Retrospective,Study, Retrospective