Helping the Mentally Ill Homeless

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the problem of homelessness in the United States, particularly with regard to the mentally ill. The paper focuses on how the mentally ill homeless can be helped. It discusses the solution according tothe government, which is to de-institutionalize those who have mental illness and then looks at the problems associated with that solution.

Table of Contents:
Abstract
History of Mental Illness
The Problems of Homelessness
De-institutionalizing the Mentally Ill
A Study of Homelessness, Mental Illness, and Citizenship

From the Paper:

"The solution according to the government is to deinstitutionalize those who have mental illness, but in reality many of these patients are released from the institutions and become homeless. The process of deinstitutionalization sounds easy and most professionals believe the mentally ill can adjust to the community (Zissi, 2006). Few people understand the problems of the mentally ill when it comes to social environment factors and living in the community. A major problem with the mentally ill adjusting to the community is the stigma of the labels they receive once they are diagnosed. "The stigma of mental illness remains a serious social problem and critical impediment to treatment seeking among diagnosed individuals" (Teachman, Wilson, and Komarovskaya, 2006, p. 75). People who have mental health problems have trouble adjusting to the community because it is not easy for them to make friends and even for family members to develop close relationships with them. Many homeless people who have mental health issues would rather return to the environment of being homeless because they have friends who are also homeless and they are not treated as abnormal."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bloom, A. & Schafer, D. (2007). History of mental illness and early treatment in a nutshell. Retrieved April 6, 2007, from http://bipolarworld.net/Bipolar%20Disorder/History/history.html
• Burt, M. (2001). What will it take to end homelessness? Retrieved April 6, 2007, from http://www.solutionsforamerica.org/thrivingneigh/homelessness.html
• Carroll, J. (2006). Most Americans in good mental health. The Gallup Poll. Retrieved April 6, 2007, from http://www.galluppoll.com/content/?=20698&pg=1
• Lester, H. & Tritter, J. (2005). 'Listen to my madness': Understanding the experiences of people with serious mental illness. Sociology of Health & Illness 27 (5): 649-669.
• National alliance to end homelessness. (2007). Homelessness counts. Retrieved April 6, 2007, from http://naeh.org/content/article/detail/1441

More papers on Helping the Mentally Ill Homeless:

• Book Review # 146350 : "The Soloist": Helping the Mentally Ill"
• Term Paper # 146680 : "Homelessness Among the Mentally Ill"
• Term Paper # 132971 : "Helping the Homeless Mentally Ill"

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