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Mental Disorders Account for More Than Half of Hospital Stays Among Homeless

Posted on: Thursday, 30 August 2007, 12:21 CDT

TORONTO (CP) - A new report says more than half of hospital stays by homeless Canadians are a direct result of mental disorders.

The Canadian Institute for Health Information says mental health issues accounted for 52 per cent of acute care hospitalizations among the homeless in 2005-2006. The report does not include Quebec hospitals.

A portion of the report looked at selected emergency rooms, mostly in Ontario, and found that 35 per cent of visits by the homeless were related to a mental disorder.

The most common of these among the homeless in emergency departments was substance abuse, accounting for 54 per cent of visits. That was followed by other psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia, at 20 per cent.

Elizabeth Votta, an author of the report, says it explores what she calls "the complex relationship between mental health and homelessness."

"People with severe mental illness may experience limited housing, employment and income options," she said in a statement.

"On the other hand, people who are homeless tend to report higher stress, lower self-worth, less social support and different coping strategies, factors that are associated with depressive symptoms, substance abuse, suicidal behaviours and poor self-rated health."

Source: Canadian Press

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