At least 80% (the vast majority) of homeless people are sane,

maryf

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Sun Nov-28-10 09:37 PM
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At least 80% (the vast majority) of homeless people are sane,

Edited on Sun Nov-28-10 09:50 PM by maryf

From the National Coalition of Homelessness (subtracting 16 from 100 would mean 84% of homeless are not severely mentally ill):

http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/index.html

Mental Illness: Approximately 16% of the single adult homeless population suffers from some form of severe and persistent mental illness (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2005). Despite the disproportionate number of severely mentally ill people among the homeless population, increases in homelessness are not attributable to the release of severely mentally ill people from institutions. Most patients were released from mental hospitals in the 1950s and 1960s, yet vast increases in homelessness did not occur until the 1980s, when incomes and housing options for those living on the margins began to diminish rapidly...

(hmmm, 80's Reagan era) Considering that children make up between 25% and 39% of the homeless, and the above info was in reference to single adult homeless individuals, the percentage of mentally ill is actually less than 16% of the total...(closer to 10%)

At least 60% (a good majority) of homeless people are clean and sober

Although obtaining an accurate, recent count is difficult, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2003) estimates, 38% of homeless people were dependent on alcohol and 26% abused other drugs. Alcohol abuse is more common in older generations, while drug abuse is more common in homeless youth and young adults (Didenko and Pankratz, 2007).

What is truly sad and skews these figures for mental illness and substance abuse is the statistics on veteran homelessness:

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) says the nation's homeless veterans are mostly males (four percent are females). The vast majority is single, most come from poor, disadvantaged communities, 45 percent suffer from mental illness, and half have substance abuse problems. America�s homeless veterans have served in World War II, Korean War, Cold War, Vietnam War, Grenada, Panama, Lebanon, Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), Operation Iraqi Freedom, or the military�s anti-drug cultivation efforts in South America. 47 per cent of homeless veterans served during the Vietnam Era. More than 67 per cent served our country for at least three years and 33 per cent were stationed in a war zone.

Here are some statistics concerning the veterans homeless <2>:

23% of homeless population are veterans
33% of male homeless population are veterans
47% Vietnam Era
17% post-Vietnam
15% pre-Vietnam
67% served three or more years
33% stationed in war zone
25% have used VA Homeless Services
85% completed high school/GED, compared to 56% of non-veterans
89% received Honorable Discharge
79% reside in central cities
16% reside in suburban areas
5% reside in rural areas
76% experience alcohol, drug, or mental health problems
46% white males compared to 34% non-veterans
46% age 45 or older compared to 20% non-veterans

Female homeless veterans represent an estimated 3% of homeless veterans. They are more likely than male homeless veterans to be married and to suffer serious psychiatric illness, but less likely to be employed and to suffer from addiction disorders. Comparisons of homeless female veterans and other homeless women have found no differences in rates of mental illness or addictions.

Please note the bold above is mine, veteran homeless are more likely to be mentally ill or substance abusers, (should we be surprised by this considering post traumatic stress disorder??)

Female homeless, are far more likely to have suffered from sexual and domestic abuse (on an aside, but possibly related, one in three female veterans suffers some form of sexual abuse while in service).

I am rather tired of reading here the false stats about how most homeless people are insane and/or drunk and addicted. While some are, and these are likely the ones many would have encounters with, more visible and vocal, the majority of homeless try really hard to not appear homeless and are just folks down on their luck, medical problems, loss of jobs, and a lack of affordable housing (the #1 cause) are more likely to have caused these people's plights than anything else.

Please take this under consideration the next time you hear someone say how homeless are "crazy drunk addicts"...It hurts me just to write that, how much would it hurt a sane, sober homeless person to read that (or one with problems other than homelessness)?

Try to walk a mile in a homeless person's shoes...they might have holes in them, but they'd rather you not notice that.