Depression in the Homeless Population
According to the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI), one in four Americans will experience mental illness in their lifetime in any given year (NAMI, 2014). Approximately 6.7 percent, around 14.8 million people suffer from major depressive disorder. NAMI (2013) found that sixty percent of adults suffering from mental illness did not receive any mental health services in the previous year. Mental health illness is a serious financial drain on the American health care system, with NAMI (2013) reporting around 200 billion dollars in lost revenue per year. Mood disorders such as depression can cause frequent hospitalizations; it is the third most common cause of hospitalization in the United States for both youth and adults (NAMI, 2013). The American Psychological Association (APA) found that the rates of mental illness among the homeless population were twice that of the general population (APA, 2014).
Disparity
Nyamathi & Marfisee (2012), identified factors in the homeless population that makes them susceptible to health care disparities such as age, homeless status, and lack of education. Johnson & Chamberlain (2011) found that while mental health issues are prevalent among the homeless population, it does not always precede homelessness. However those suffering from mental health illnesses experienced more long-term homelessness compared to those who did not. Wright (2014) found that 54% of homeless patients reported negative attitudes of health care providers and stated that it was the primary reason for not going to a hospital or general practitioner. Wright (2014) also reported that homeless people use approximately eight times more hospital inpatient services than the average person and their length of stay was almost triple that of the general population, simply because they were more sick. Less than one-third of