M2
Slide 11
CONTENT
Mental Health Disorders
Mental health conditions among homeless populations include:
Major depressive disorder
Generalised anxiety disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders
Bipolar affective disorder
Personality disorders
Trauma is extremely common. Many individuals have experienced:
Childhood abuse
Domestic violence
Institutionalisation
Combat exposure
Migration-related trauma
Repeated victimisation while homeless
Chronic stress and trauma exposure alter coping capacity and increase vulnerability to psychiatric disorders.
Underdiagnosed and undertreated
The combination of stigma, lack of documentation, difficulty maintaining appointments, distrust of institutions, and competing survival priorities means most conditions are recognised only in crisis.
Without stable housing, therapeutic continuity is structurally interrupted.