Psychology and Homelessness Part 2

- Bell & Walsh's 2015 study involved interviewing men in a homeless shelter

                      - they described feeling like outsiders

                      - The absence of a house or home was connected to a feeling of a loss of identity, self    worth, and self-efficacy

                      - These negative feelings can contribute to negative mental health

 

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- Historically the mentally ill have also been considered as "the other", often resulting in stigma and isolation (Gomory et al, 2013)

- Unfortunately, prejudiced attitudes towards the mentally ill are not so far back in history that they have disappeared entirely.

- Tringo's 1970 study, cited by Noe (1997) found that

                 - people with mental illnesses were thought of as undesirable

                 - those struggling with alcoholism were considered as even less desirable than those with other mental health issues

- as the homeless population has struggled with mental illness, including alcoholism (O'Reilly-Fleming, 1993), this creates an intersection of stigmatization