News: Analysis examines prevalence of mental health disorders among homeless

Mental health disorders among people experiencing homelessness has a current prevalence of 67% and a lifetime prevalence of 77%, according to an analysis published in JAMA Psychiatry. The most common mental health disorder was substance use disorder (44%), followed by antisocial personality disorder (26%), major depression (19%), bipolar disorder (8%), and schizophrenia (7%), Medscape Medical News reported.

Researchers examined several studies that amounted to nearly 50,000 participants, finding the prevalence of current and lifetime mental health disorders among the homeless population was notably higher than the 13%-15% current and 12%-47% lifetime prevalence observed in the general population. Also, among the homeless population, the lifetime prevalence of mental health disorders was significantly higher in men experiencing homelessness (86%) than in women (69%).

“Even though our results are not surprising, they still are drawing attention to this issue because it is a big problem in Canada, the United States, Europe, and other places,” senior author Dallas Seitz, MD, PhD, professor of psychiatry at the University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine, told Medscape Medical News. “The problem is concerning, and it's not getting better. Addiction and mental health problems are becoming more common among people who are homeless.”

The analysis’ results aligned with a previous review looking at worldwide homelessness, which estimated that 76% of people experiencing homelessness living in high-income countries have mental health disorders.

Editor’s note: To read Medscape Medical News’ coverage of this story, click here. To access the JAMA Psychiatry analysis, click here.