U of C study provides insights into those experiencing homelessness

More than two-thirds are living with a mental-health disorder, researchers say

More than two-thirds of people experiencing homelessness suffer from a mental-health disorder, finds a new study by researchers at the University of Calgary.

The study, published in the American Medical Association, reviewed 85 studies from 1980 to 2021, analyzing cases of unhoused people and finding a strong link between homelessness and mental-health disorders in countries including the U.S., Canada and Germany.

A majority of these people have personality and substance-use disorders, while more than a quarter suffer from serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, psychotic disorder and bipolar disorder — more than eight times as high as the general population.

The authors say the relationship between mental-health disorders and homelessness is symbiotic: people's addiction leads them down the path of losing shelter. Or, when people can no longer afford housing, they start using drugs to alleviate the trauma of being homeless and may develop an anti-social personality disorder as a reaction to their situation.

Researchers found the combined presence of the two problems is rising, but couldn't definitively say whether that's because the issue is getting worse, or institutions are better at detecting them.

“Most people sort of understand that there's some sort of relationship between mental-health concerns and homelessness for a number of people, although it's really hard to understand the extent to which mental-health conditions are present in people who are homeless,” senior author of the report Dr. Dallas Seitz said.

But Seitz, a psychiatrist and professor at the University of Calgary, is no stranger to the issues facing homeless people. He sees the issue on the streets of Bridgeland where he lives, but also encounters unhoused people in his practice at the Foothills Medical Centre and Rockyview Hospital.

“It's difficult to see,” he said. “It's really hard to ignore that when you're seeing it in your community.”

A count taken on a particular day in 2022 estimated that 2,782 people were unhoused. As of April 17, 2,257 individuals and families are on the “co-ordinated access and assessment triage list,” which is the system the Calgary Homeless Foundation uses to match people experiencing homelessness with appropriate supports.

More than 70 per cent have a self-disclosed mental-health issue, while more than 44 per cent experience tri-morbidity — a mix of substance use disorders, and psychological and physical health concerns — according to the Calgary Homeless Foundation.

Advocates have said barriers to health care continue to exist. Many experiencing homelessness and substance-use disorders are turned away from hospitals, says Chaz Smith, CEO and founder of BeTheChangeYYC, an advocacy group for unhoused people.

The authors conclude their report by recommending “housing first” strategies, among various health initiatives, so that unhoused people are given a home as they are admitted into treatment