The Economic Consequences of Homelessness in The US

There most definitely is a relationship between mental illness and homelessness,
though, and each one does contribute to the other in a circular fashion. Without help,
the mutual contribution can spin out of control.
Mental illness can contribute to homelessness when symptoms become so severe that
the person can't function. For example, he or she might be so disorganized as to be
unable to maintain a job (and thus pay rent or make house payments). Also, specific
symptoms of mental health disorders, such as the manic state of bipolar disorder or the
psychotic symptoms and paranoia of schizophrenia (paranoia, though, isn't always
present in schizophrenia) can not only make it hard to work or care for oneself but can
also severely isolate the person when others don't know what to do.
Mental Illness and Homelessness: A Link
Homelessness can contribute to
mental illness because of the
severe distress caused by living
on the streets. Homelessness is
traumatic, and as such can lead to
PTSD. Depression, too, often
develops when people live on the
streets, as can other mental
illnesses. If someone is vulnerable
to mental illness, either from
environmental or genetic factors,
homelessness is very likely to lead
to mental illness (What Causes
Mental Illness? Genetics,
Environment, Risk Factors).
The interconnection between homelessness and mental illness is multifaceted. Many
different factors contribute to both of them, and they reflect the circular cause-and-effect
relationship between the two.
Biological risk factors increase the likelihood of both mental illness and
subsequent homelessness.
Stressors and triggers such as significant loss, experiencing trauma, abuse, and
others greatly reduce someone's ability to function and increase the risk of
homelessness.
effects of child abuse (physical, emotional, sexual as well as neglect) that carry
into adulthood substance use
psychiatric hospitalizations
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