Calgary study suggests mental health disorders and homelessness closely linked
New research out of the University of Calgary shows an extremely prominent link between mental health disorders and people experiencing homelessness.
According to the paper, up to 75 per cent of adults who are currently living rough have an underlying mental health condition.
The lifetime prevalence is even higher: 86 per cent of males have struggled with a disorder, and 69 per cent of females.
Clinician-researcher and senior author of the paper, Dr. Dallas Seitz, calls the numbers "eye-opening."
"I would say it's not surprising, but it's probably still shocking to see," he told CTV News.
"We all kind of intuitively know (there’s a connection). I think what was really surprising to me is the extent of it (and) how consistent it was across the world."
Seitz says the researchers reviewed studies from 1980 to 2021 focused on things like antisocial personality disorder, major depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
"Those serious mental health conditions are much higher amongst people experiencing homelessness when compared to the general population," Seitz said. "About eight times higher."
Darren Houle was without a permanent home for almost two years.
He says he’s suffered from mental health concerns for much of his life, and they were exacerbated being out on the street.
"It’s hard to have everything — a big, beautiful home, a family, a job, your livelihood on your hands — to have it taken away so fast," he said.
Those problems were compounded by drug and alcohol use.
Houle was able to escape the cycle and his addictions with the help of his family and the Calgary Mustard Seed.
He says therapy and counselling went a long way.
"It made me figure out who I was, my problems and how to address them," he said. "It paved the way for me to better myself."
He’s been sober for two years and now lives in an affordable housing unit, looking for construction work.
"Because I wanted to be a better role model for my son," Houle said. "That’s the most important thing for me."
"When we are able to support people and give them appropriate treatments, we see their functioning improves," Seitz said. "They're better able to get into the workforce and get grounded."
The findings are published in JAMA Psychiatry.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Prince William and Kate release photo of daughter Charlotte to mark ninth birthday
Prince William and his wife Kate released a picture of their daughter Charlotte to mark the princess's ninth birthday on Thursday.
This Canadian restaurant just lowered its prices. Here's how it did it
A Canadian restaurant lowered its prices this week, and though news of price tags dropping rather than climbing sounds unusual, the business strategy in this case is not, according to experts in the field.
Concerns about Plexiglas prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall Plexiglas barriers.
'Oh, there you go': Tyler Black, son of veteran broadcaster Rod Black, has memorable Major League Baseball debut
Canadian baseball player Tyler Black made a major splash in his first-ever big league game for the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.
Facial reconstruction reveals what a 40-something Neanderthal woman may have looked like
Scientists studying a Neanderthal woman's remains have painstakingly pieced together her skull from 200 bone fragments to understand what she may have looked like.
Weight-loss drug Wegovy available in Canada starting May 6
The makers of Ozempic say their weight-loss drug Wegovy will be available to patients in Canada starting Monday.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Goring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Ontario man loses $1,500 applying for Nexus cards on social media
The trusted traveller program between Canada and the United States is extremely popular and almost two million Canadians have a Nexus card.
Companies letting customers opt out of Mother's Day ads
In an effort to balance the profitability of Mother's Day with the pain it causes some people, some brands are offering customers the choice to opt out of Mother's Day email advertising.