Severe mental illness among homeless adults and its association with longitudinal outcomes

A probability sample of urban homeless adults ( N = 420) from Buffalo, NY, was followed every 3 months for 18 months using measures with established reliability and validity. Rates of mental disorder varied depending on the measure and/or operationalization applied (e.g., 46% had a high score on a s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Behavior therapy 1999, Vol.30 (3), p.431-452
Main Authors: Toro, Paul A., Goldstein, Marilyn S., Rowland, Laurenn L., Bellavia, Charles W., Wolfe, Susan M., Thomas, David M., Acosta, Olga
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Biological and medical sciences
Homeless people
Medical sciences
Mental disorders
Miscellaneous
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
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Summary:A probability sample of urban homeless adults ( N = 420) from Buffalo, NY, was followed every 3 months for 18 months using measures with established reliability and validity. Rates of mental disorder varied depending on the measure and/or operationalization applied (e.g., 46% had a high score on a symptom checklist but only 13% had been hospitalized for a mental disorder). Based on the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS), 23% received a lifetime DSM-III diagnosis of severe mental illness (schizophrenia or major affective disorder). Those with a diagnosis of severe mental illness differed from those without a diagnosis on many dimensions at baseline, reporting more negative recent and past family environments, more housing moves, greater stress, more psychological and health symptoms, and poorer self-efficacy. However, those with and without a diagnosis differed only on a few longitudinal outcomes, and the entire sample showed improvements on the time spent homeless, income, stress, and physical and psychological symptoms. Both groups also showed significant declines on two measures of social support.
ISSN:0005-7894
1878-1888
DOI:10.1016/S0005-7894(99)80019-7