WR 227 Technical Report: Homelessness & Mental Health Analysis

This report investigates the significant impact of homelessness on mental health in the U.S., highlighting the cyclical relationship between the two issues. It begins by establishing the prevalence of homelessness and its challenging conditions, noting the increasing rates despite intervention efforts. The report emphasizes the link between homelessness and mental illness, citing research that indicates mental illness as a key contributor to homelessness and vice versa. The author uses both primary data from surveys and secondary data from previous studies to present findings, including the high prevalence of mental illness among the homeless population, lack of access to treatment, and vulnerability to violence. The report concludes by advocating for integrated interventions that address both homelessness and mental illness to achieve better outcomes, urging policymakers to consider this critical link in their strategies. The report also includes a self-evaluation detailing the research process, resources used, and areas for improvement.

Running head: IMPACT OF HOMELESSNESS IN MENTAL HEALTH
IMPACT OF HOMELESSNESS IN MENTAL HEALTH
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

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Cover Letter
February 17th, 2020
Smith, John Doe
City Council District
United State of America
Dear Council Member:
Following the research work, I wish to for position presentation of homelessness in mental
illness. Concerning my experience and knowledge about homelessness in mental illness, I
feel it is worth being considered as a presenter. I have an in-depth understanding of the
matters related to homelessness in mental illness.
In other words, I possess magical ability to identify factors that can lead to mental illness and
how young people can react to such incidence to offer their support in case mental illness
problems characterize one of them. I know how to use a dashboard visual chart that consists
of a gauge chart growth rate, a bar chart for several orders, an area chart showing how the
disease is spread and how it can be overcome.
I have skills such as communication skills and my experience and I think this will help me to
convey a message with aid of tables and charts. Should there be, any questions or comments
arise, please, I am available through my email and direct contact, as well as ready to provide

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any sample as proof. I will be ready to discuss my qualifications in more detail if you allow
me. I can be reached at 503-880-3777 and [e-mail].
Sincerely,
Alice Wong
PO Box 1125
Ocean Park, WA 98640

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Executive Summary
Homelessness is a critical issue in the US. Reports indicate that close to half a million
individuals spend their night in inhabitable places such as shelters, abandoned buildings,
sidewalks, and parks. Typically, these individuals encounter extreme difficulties and trying
situations. Multiple policies and interventions have been created by government agencies,
non-governmental organizations, and other social work agencies in an attempt to address the
situation. However, the situation keeps exacerbating, with more and more homeless people
facing challenging situations upon each passing day. There is a consensus that there is a need
for additional research such as this one. This is to generate more knowledge on the problem
and hence lead to a solution. The primary basis of this report is the analogy that certain
factors contribute to homelessness. Additionally, these elements must be considered in
designing intervention programs to enhance the efficiency of these policies. One such critical
factor, which is the main focus of this report, is mental illness. Research indicates that mental
illness is one of the key contributors to homelessness. Also, on the vice-versa, the strain
associated with homelessness increases people’s vulnerability to mental illness. Therefore,
this report attempts to establish a clear link between the issue of homelessness and mental
illness, thus showing that the two problems reinforce each other. The primary goal here is to
convince policymakers to factor in this link as they create interventions to address the two
issues.
The author gathers data from two essential sources. First is primary data, where they
conduct a survey by administering a questionnaire to 30 participants present in two regions.
The second information source entails secondary data where they present findings from
previous studies carried out on the relation between mental illness and homelessness. The
results are then presented through a combination of both text discussions and visuals to
enhance their clarity and conciseness. From the research, there were five essential insights

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acquired. First, is that one in four homeless individuals have a mental illness. Also, across
American cities, mental illness ranked as the third leading cause of homelessness. Another
insight is that most homeless individuals who have mental illness lack sufficient access to
treatment and care. Additionally, while individuals with mental illness are stereotyped as
violent perpetrators, the study found out that these individuals are significant victims of
violence. The final finding, which is a critical finding, shows that better outcomes are
achieved when mental illness case management efforts are merged with housing
interventions. Notably, from these findings, it is clear that homelessness is significantly
interlinked with mental illness. Thus, policymakers must create interventions that address
both issues to guarantee a better outcome for individuals experiencing these issues.

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Table of Contents
Cover Letter...............................................................................................................................1
Introduction................................................................................................................................7
Purpose...................................................................................................................................7
Background............................................................................................................................7
Scope......................................................................................................................................8
Impact of Homelessness on Mental Illness................................................................................8
Scenario of Homelessness in the U.S.....................................................................................8
Mental Illness.......................................................................................................................11
Impact of Homelessness on Mental Illness..........................................................................13
Conclusion................................................................................................................................16
Self Evaluation.........................................................................................................................17
References................................................................................................................................19
Appendix..................................................................................................................................22

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List of Figures
Figure 1: Impact of homelessness on the mental health of people in the U.S...........................8
Figure 2: Supply and Demand curve for determining homelessness.......................................10
Figure 3: Global statistics on Mental illness............................................................................12
Figure 4: Conceptual framework stating the relationship between homelessness and mental
health........................................................................................................................................14
Figure 5: Facts related to mental illness and homelessness.....................................................20
Figure 6: Condition among homelessness population.............................................................20

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Introduction
Purpose
The report intends to evaluate the influence of not having any home on the
mental condition of people by understanding the impacts of it on mental illness patients. The
research was conducted as well as documented in this report for demonstrating the effects of
homelessness on the U.S. population who face the challenges with respect to their mental
status. The factors related to homelessness will be assessed, which will help in designing the
interventional program for improving the policies related to mental health issues in the U.S.
context. Several factors that are responsible for causing mental illness among people and one
of the contributory factors are stated to be homelessness that has a profound impact on the
health and well-being of people. Therefore, this issue has been undertaken to be addressed in
the report.
Background
In the U.S. Report, the issues of homelessness have been highlighted predominantly
that states that approximately half a million of people are found to stay in inhabitable places
at nights that include abandoned buildings, parks, sidewalks and other shelters (Brignone et
al., 2016). These people are found to face various challenges and encounter varied situations
that affect their mental well-being to a large extent. Over time, these stress factors elevate to
such a level that it leads to issue related to mental illness. According to Ahn (2019), the strain
pressure of being homeless is associated with increase vulnerability toward mental illness and
thus, it is clear that there is a close association between the two variables that reinforce to
each other.

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Figure 1: Impact of homelessness on the mental health of people in the U.S.
Source: (Karaca, Wong & Mutter, 2008)
Scope
The report examines the factors that are associated with homelessness and mental
illness that require an immediate response from the government of the U.S. Several areas
require a collaborative effort from the governmental and non-governmental agencies to
address the issue for estimating the changes required to be made. The primary goal of the
study is to convince the policymakers to understand the link between the variables in order to
establish interventions.
Impact of Homelessness on Mental Illness
Scenario of Homelessness in the U.S.
According to the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, the term homelessness is
stated to be a condition that lack a proper and permanent nighttime residence for an
individual. The legal definition of the concept differs from country to country (Clemens et al.,
2018). As per the estimation made by the Homeless World Cup Foundation, 59110 people in

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the world were considered homeless, which contributes to an increase in 9% from the
previous year. According to the opinion of Ravenhill (2016), the category of homelessness is
stated to be a vulnerable group that is increasing at a drastic rate since the year 2010. On a
rough estimation, on any given night, 4000 people sleep outside. The scenario is not similar
in all the country; however, it is estimated that low-income countries in the continents of Asia
and Africa are more derogative than the western world. However, this is stated to be partially
true in nature. The issues of homelessness in American is found to be prevalent in nature as
35% of the population resides in unsheltered places and approximately 350,000 people are
found to live in emergency shelters and transitional homes (Whitehouse.gov, 2020). The
situation of homelessness involves hardship and desperate situation and offers the limited
choice to the people that may lead to various problems such as substance abuse, duress,
untreated or unidentified mental illness or other outcomes from the well-established policies.
As per the report of Morton et al. (2018), 47% of the unsheltered people in the U.S. is found
to be from California, which contributes to three-fourth of the total homeless population in
the country. The five cities that rank high in the aspects include:
 San Francisco
 Santa Rosa
 Los Angles
 San Jose
 Seattle
The three cities that have the largest population of sheltered homelessness are found to be
located in the Northeastern part of the country that includes:
 New York City
 Boston

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 Washington D.C.
With respect to the supply and demand framework, the major factors that assess the
variation in the rate of homelessness in different communities in the U.S. need to be done.
Figure 2: Supply and Demand curve for determining homelessness
Source: (Smartt et al., 2019)
From the figure, the major drivers of the homeless population were determined that
includes high cost of house that is responsible for overregulation in the housing markets,
tolerance in sleeping on the streets, the supply of homeless shelters and the feature of
individuals in the community. On the social context, the major reasons concerning
homelessness are documented. These involve:
 Domestic violence
 Foreclosure on landlords that may lead to dislodgment of the tenants
 Forced eviction where thousands of people have lost their homes because of the order
of the government for upscaling the area. This involves the building of high-rise
building, construction of roads or other needs. The amount of compensation is

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minimal; thus, the occupants cannot afford to find new housing thus, becomes
homeless (Smartt et al., 2019)
 Lack of accessible healthcare services
 Gentrification which is a process where the neighborhood is filled with wealthy
people and the poor people are decimated
 Afflicted with a disability and the area do not have appropriate disability service
 Transition to foster care home or other systems
 Due to mental distress
 Poverty
 Migration
 Natural disaster
 Social exclusion
 Prison
 Others
Mental Illness
As per the study of Mayo Clinic (2020), mental illness or mental health disorder
refers to a wide range of conditions related to mental health that affects the brain function,
moods and behavior. Various kinds of mental illness include depression, anxiety,
schizophrenia, addiction and eating disorder. Several episodes of mental illness occur among
people from time to time; however, prolonged exposure to it is responsible for affecting the
cognitive behavior and functioning of the brain. As per the report of the World Health
Organisation (2019), one out of four people in the world is affected by it at some point in
their lives. Approximately 450 million individual currently suffers from the condition and
making it one of the leading cause of illness and disability on a global scale. Even though,
treatment to such conditions are available; however, about two-third people are not aware of