If you’re reading this right now, I’m going to take a quick guess and say that you’re just as lucky as I am for being able to write this.
Why? What if we’ve had a shit day — we all do — and now we’re trying to get your mind off of it? Or maybe, you got scolded at work. Maybe a lot of things that don’t feel entirely great. Now, while those experiences are completely valid, I still have to say that we’re lucky.
Because I have a strong suspicion that if you’re reading this, you’re probably not homeless. I’m also lucky, because I have the privilege of writing this in my bed at home. I’m even luckier, because right now my “home” is in San Francisco, a city plagued with a housing crisis.
If you’ve been to San Francisco, you’ve seen plenty of homeless people around the city. But did you know that one-third of homeless people are coping with a mental illness? Dr. E. Fuller Torrey and Shane Downing both talk about the homelessness problem in San Francisco, and how mental illness is shrouded within it.
So why is this a common thread? Why are there so many people coping with mental illness living on the street, instead of getting the care they need? Well, since the 70’s, psychiatric hospitals have seen their budgets being shaved down, leading to fewer beds being available in the hospitals. Not only does this prevent future people from getting the help they need, Torrey writes, but it’s been leading to the “dumping” patients out of the hospital to try and keep up with the cuts. But studies are now finding that cutting hospital funds is only hurting taxpayers more, because the patients often shift to care in shelters or in prisons. 27–36% of state mental hospital discharges end up living on the street in New York and Massachusetts alone, Torrey writes, so this defunding of state facilities is really taking its toll against the mentally ill in the United States.
Torrey also states that the quality of life for homeless people is even dimmer for the mentally ill. On a study done on ~600 homeless people, the ones who were previously found at psychiatric hospitals were far more likely to be using garbage cans as their primary source for nourishment. Imagine living a majority of your life digging through other people’s trash for food. Can you see yourself living off of someone’s leftover McDonald’s french fries?
Unfortunately, it seems to only get worse from there. Homeless who are mentally ill are far more likely to be victims of some kind of violence, particularly assault and robbery. Often times, people with severe mental illnesses seem to be the target, and there are many cases of people with schizophrenia experiencing the same crimes twice. Terrifyingly enough, in 1988, some homeless women reported being raped more than 10 times.
The mentally ill living on the streets not only have an increased risk of crime, but they also have an increased death rate. Homeless people alone see their death rate increased by three times, but those also living with a mental disability add 2.7 times to their rate. It’s hard to look these facts head on. We now know that the mentally ill face a horrific future after being dropped from psychiatric care.
So what can we do to help?
The easiest answer is to volunteer. Find local groups in your town and city, and try to give them some of your time. If you don’t have time to spare, then a giving a donation helps as well. Talk to your local government representatives.
Do everything and anything you can do to become more knowledgeable on this topic, because every little thing helps, even if you’re only spreading the word.
