Combined substance abuse and psychiatric disorders in homeless and domiciled patients.
Although homelessness in patients with combined addictive and psychiatric illness is a common problem, little has been reported about the epidemiology of homelessness in this patient population. The authors, in a study of 100 dually diagnosed patients admitted to a large metropolitan psychiatric hospital, found that a large portion of patients (N = 46) were homeless at the time of admission. Alcohol and crack/cocaine were the most frequently used drugs. Interestingly, there were no significant differences on most parameters between those who were homeless and those who were not. The authors observed that among the disadvantaged, inner-city dually diagnosed, many move in and out of the homeless state, seriously compromising their chances for recovery. Self-help treatment programs were more commonly used by homeless than domiciled patients. The homeless population may therefore be amenable to treatment in 12-step groups, as are domiciled patients.
Herman
M
M
Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine New York, New York 10016.
Galanter
M
M
Lifshutz
H
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016578:Crack Cocaine; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003617:Dangerous Behavior; D005260:Female; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*
D016578:Crack Cocaine; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs