[A study of the mentally ill in institutions for homeless people in Tokyo].
Homeless problems associated with poverty may be considered almost resolved in Japan because of the post World War II economic development, but in large cities such as Tokyo the homeless are still being produced, a reflection of a variety of social problems. This study is based on an analysis of admission records of an institution for the homeless which was established in 1952 in Tokyo. Subjects are 2,122 single persons who were admitted between 1952 and 1985. Among these, 136 are mentally ill persons, who are the main subjects of analysis in this study. Results show that, which after 1970 the number of the mentally ill significantly increased, many of those people dropped out of the institution mostly because they were originally admitted directly from discharge from hospitals because there was no other place to go except the institutions, and also because the institution, originally meant to house street people who had been detained, did not offer appropriate programs for the mentally ill. A solution to these problems requires that roles of institutions for the homeless and subjects admitted be reconsidered. Institution staff should enrich programs designed for the homeless mentally ill and help them organize their social network and live in the community.
Hashimoto
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A
Forschungsstelle für Psychiatrische Soziologie, Heinrich-Heine Universitäte Düsseldorf.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons; D006801:Humans; D007326:Institutionalization; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders; D008875:Middle Aged; D011632:Public Assistance; D012944:Social Support; D014041:Tokyo