Abstract
Little is known about the medical conditions and medication use of individuals who are homeless and have mental health problems. This study used secondary data (N = 933) from a mental health clinic serving homeless adults. Primary outcomes were the number and types of self-reported medical conditions and medications. About half (52.60%) of participants were taking one or more medications (mean = 1.67; SD = 2.30), most commonly antidepressants, antipsychotics, and anticonvulsants. Most frequently reported medical conditions were headaches/migraines, hypertension, and arthritis with a mean of 3.09 (SD = 2.74) conditions. Age and sex were significant predictors of the number of medical conditions. Age and the length of time homeless were significant predictors of the number of medications taken. Results suggest that those who are older and have been homeless longer appear to be increased risk for health problems and may need more medications to manage these conditions.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 885-893 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Community Mental Health Journal |
Volume | 56 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jul 1 2020 |
Keywords
- Co-morbidities
- Health care
- Homeless
- Medication use
- Mental health
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Health(social science)
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
- Psychiatry and Mental health