Introduction
Homeless people constitute one of the most vulnerable groups in society. They often arrive at their situation due to domestic violence, unemployment or underemployment and lack of affordable housing, forced eviction or power abuse, natural disasters, mental disorders, etc. Some are born into homelessness. Once in the street, these people become victims of the social stigma. They have little chance of finding proper housing, and, having little support and no hope, are forced to fend for themselves. It is no wonder that they suffer from numerous health problems, and have very little chance to get the proper health care if any at all. In this paper, we will discuss the health problems that are commonly faced by homeless people (adult men and women, children, and adolescents).
Body
Homeless adults usually suffer from 8-9 diseases simultaneously. They often have dermatologic problems (lice, eczema, scabies, etc.), respiratory infections, dental conditions, injury, foot diseases (fungal infections, trench foot), sight problems, and mental illnesses, as well as thermoregulatory issues (Donohoe, 2004). They frequently suffer from chronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma, tuberculosis, hypertension, HIV/AIDS (American Psychological Association, n.d., para. 5). Homeless people of both sexes report mental problems (74% men and 83% women), so there is no substantial difference. The significant difference is also absent when it comes to substance use (73% men, 68% women) (Edens, Mares, & Rosenheck, 2011). Still, males appear to more frequently abuse alcohol than women. It is also known that 47% of homeless women “meet the criteria for a diagnosis of major depressive disorder,” which is two times higher than the same rate for women in general (American Psychological Association, n.d., para. 5)
Homeless people have a high mortality rate, and their lifespan rarely exceeds 45 years. Homeless women commonly have suffered from childhood abuse (more than half of all homeless children and women become homeless attempting to escape domestic violence). Homeless girls and women very often suffer from sexually transmitted diseases due to the non-availability of reproductive health services, prostitution, and sex traded for food, shelter, or substances – the so-called survival sex (Donohoe, 2004).
The non-availability of contraceptives and other means of birth control combined with the frequent survival sex mean that homeless women get pregnant often; the pregnancy rate among them is approximately two times higher than the national rate (Donohoe, 2004, para. 10). While pregnant, women suffer from numerous health conditions and are unable to get proper medical care, which also affects the health of their future children. Children born into homelessness are exposed to a significantly higher risk of death than children who have a home. As for common illnesses, homeless children very often have “respiratory, ear, and skin infections… developmental delay, and face neglect and abuse” (Donohoe, 2004, para. 9). The developmental delay often becomes evident at an early age, during infanthood, and leads to significant psychological and physical problems which cause emotional disorders and lack of social skills. Homeless children also often suffer from stunted growth, anemia, cardiac and neurological diseases.
Homeless adolescents suffer from numerous health issues as well. These include malnutrition, thermoregulatory issues (e.g., heatstroke and hypothermia), sexually transmitted infections (hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, and others), asthma, traumatic injury (including self-inflicted injury), and other problems (Murphy & Tobin, 2012, 638-639). They also often abuse substances.
Conclusion
To sum up, it should be noted that homeless people, one of the most vulnerable groups in society, suffer from numerous health problems. On average, they have 8-9 illnesses simultaneously. All the four identified groups (homeless men, women, children, and adolescents) experience various chronic health conditions, such as asthma. They also have dermatologic problems. Both adults and teenagers often abuse substances and suffer from sexually transmitted diseases. Women and girls are more prone to sexually transmitted diseases due to survival sex; they also have high pregnancy rates. All the groups are vulnerable to thermoregulatory issues. Most adults of both sexes have mental problems; children experience developmental disorders that significantly influence their lives when they become adolescents. All the groups often experience trauma due to harsh conditions they live in; sometimes, especially among adolescents, traumas are self-inflicted.
References
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Health & homelessness. Web.
Donohoe, M. (2004). Homelessness in the United States: History, epidemiology, health issues, women, and public policy. Web.
Edens, E. L., Mares, A. S., & Rosenheck, R. A. (2011). Chronically homeless women report high rates of substance use problems equivalent to chronically homeless men. Women’s Health Issues, 21(5), 383-389.
Murphy, J. J., & Tobin, K. (2012). Addressing the problems of homeless adolescents. Journal of School Leadership, 22(3), 633-663.