Health and Mental Health Problems of Homeless Men and Women in Baltimore

JAMA ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 262 (10) ◽  
pp. 1352 ◽  
Author(s):  
William R. Breakey
2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (8) ◽  
pp. 1121-1135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas W. Bakken ◽  
Christy A. Visher

Men and women exiting the correctional system represent a population at high risk for mental health problems, and the body of research on the mental health needs of former prisoners is growing. These mental health problems pose challenges for individuals at every stage of the criminal justice process, from arrest to incarceration to reentry and reintegration. This article examines the mental health status and gender differences among a sample of 352 men and women leaving confinement and the role that mental health problems played in shaping their reentry outcomes using data collected between 2002 and 2005. In the year after leaving prison, men and women with mental health problems reported worse health indicators and less satisfactory social factors, such as employment, housing, and family support. The article concludes with a discussion of recommendations for improved policy and practice for assisting former prisoners with mental health problems during reintegration.


2011 ◽  
Vol 198 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheree J. Gibb ◽  
David M. Fergusson ◽  
L. John Horwood

BackgroundMarriage is known to be associated with improved mental health, but little research has examined whether the duration of a cohabiting relationship is associated with mental health.AimsTo examine the associations between relationship duration and mental health problems in a birth cohort of 30-year-olds.MethodAssociations between relationship duration and mental health were examined using a generalised estimating equation approach. Associations were adjusted for covariates, including prior mental health problems.ResultsLonger relationship duration was significantly associated with lower rates of depression, suicidal behaviour and substance abuse/dependence, even after adjustment for covariates. In most cases the associations did not vary with gender. Legal relationship status (legally or de facto married) was not significantly related to mental health once due allowance was made for relationship duration.ConclusionsIncreasing relationship duration, but not legal relationship status, has a protective effect on mental health for men and women.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Herbert E. Ainamani ◽  
Thomas Elbert ◽  
David Kani Olema ◽  
Tobias Hecker

Abstract Background The wars in the Democratic Republic of Congo have left indelible marks on the mental health and functioning of the Congolese civilians that sought refuge in Uganda. Even though it is clear that civilians who are exposed to potentially traumatizing events in war and conflict areas develop trauma-related mental health problems, scholarly information on gender differences on exposure to different war-related traumatic events, their conditional risks to developing PTSD and whether the cumulative exposure to traumatic events affects men and women differently is still scanty. Methods In total, 325 (n = 143 males, n = 182 females) Congolese refugees who lived in Nakivale, a refugee settlement in the Southwestern part of Uganda were interviewed within a year after their arrival. Assessment included exposure to war-related traumatic events, and DSM-IV PTSD symptom severity. Results Our main findings were that refugees were highly exposed to war-related traumatic events with experiencing dangerous flight as the most common event for both men (97%) and women (97%). The overall high prevalence of PTSD differed among women (94%) and men (84%). The highest conditional prevalence of PTSD in women was associated with experiencing rape. The dose-response effect differed significantly between men and women with women showing higher PTSD symptom severity when experiencing low and moderate levels of potentially traumatizing event types. Conclusion In conflict areas, civilians are highly exposed to different types of war-related traumatic events that expose them to high levels of PTSD symptoms, particularly women. Interventions focused at reducing mental health problems resulting from war should take the context of gender into consideration.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. e045870
Author(s):  
Win Thuzar Aye ◽  
Lars Lien ◽  
Hein Stigum ◽  
Espen Bjertness

ObjectivesTo estimate the prevalence of emotional, physical and sexual childhood abuse, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and to examine the association between childhood abuse and adult mental health problems, including mental distress and PTSD symptoms.DesignA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted. Childhood abuse was assessed with the NorVold Abuse Questionnaire, and mental distress and symptoms of PTSD were measured using the Hopkins Symptom Checklist 10 and the Impact of Event Scale—Revised, respectively. The Wald test and multiple linear regression analysis were applied for testing differences between proportions and the association between childhood abuse and adult mental health outcomes, respectively.SettingUrban and rural areas of the Yangon Region, Myanmar.ParticipantsA total of 2377 men and women aged 18–49 years were included. Institutionalised people, monks, nuns and individuals deemed too ill physically and/or mentally to participate were excluded.ResultsOverall, 21.1% (95% CI 18.8 to 23.6) reported any form of childhood abuse, 10.4% (95% CI 8.9 to 12.4) physical abuse, 10.4% (95% CI 8.8 to 12.2) emotional abuse and 7.3% (95% CI 5.7 to 9.3) sexual abuse. Childhood abuse was more common in women (29.8%) than in men (12.4%). The prevalence of PTSD symptoms in the total sample was 6.6%. After adjusting for confounding variables, positive associations were found between childhood abuse with adult mental distress and PTSD symptoms among women and older men.ConclusionsChildhood abuse is prevalent among both men and women in the Yangon Region of Myanmar and associated with adult mental health problems. Approximately 7% of people report PTSD symptoms. It should prompt local health professionals and policy makers to establish prevention programmes to eliminate violence against children and to organise services for victims of childhood abuse. Care should be taken in generalising findings for less populated areas.


2005 ◽  
Vol 186 (4) ◽  
pp. 297-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Isabel Oliver ◽  
Nicky Pearson ◽  
Nicola Coe ◽  
David Gunnell

BackgroundMany people with mental health problems do not seek professional help but their use of other sources of help is unclear.AimsTo investigate patterns of lay and professional help-seeking in men and women aged 16–64 years in relation to severity of symptoms and sociodemographic variables.MethodPostal questionnaire survey, including the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ–12), sent to a stratified random sample (n=15222) of the population of Somerset.ResultsThe response rate was 76%. Only 28% of people with extremely high GHQ–12 scores (⩾8) had sought help from their general practitioner but most (78%) had sought some form of help. Males, young people and people living in affluent areas were the least likely to seek help.ConclusionsHealth promotion interventions to encourage appropriate help-seeking behaviour in young people, particularly in men, may lead to improvements in the mental health of this group of the population.


Author(s):  
Grant Iverson ◽  
Andrew J Gardner

Abstract There are no validated criteria for diagnosing chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or traumatic encephalopathy syndrome, in a living person. The purpose of this study is to examine symptom reporting resembling the research criteria for traumatic encephalopathy syndrome in men and women from the US general population. This is a retrospective analysis of publicly available data from a cross-sectional epidemiological study. The National Comorbidity Survey Replication was designed to examine the prevalence and correlates of mental disorders in the United States. The study included a nationally representative sample of 9,282 adults (4,139 men and 5,143 women). An in-person interview and survey were conducted in the homes of men and women from the general population. The study was conducted with participants residing in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, San Francisco, Washington DC, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Boston, Nassau-Suffolk NY, St Louis, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Minneapolis, and Atlanta. Symptoms from the research criteria for the diagnosis of traumatic encephalopathy syndrome were applied to men and women in the general population and in subgroups of people with health problems and mental health problems. A small percentage of the US general population met symptom criteria for traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (6.6-11.9%, depending upon the definition applied). People with chronic pain were much more likely to meet criteria (i.e., 14.8% to 30.5%), and two out of three people who have experienced suicidality in the past year met symptom criteria for traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (65.2-72.2%). The majority of women with a mood disorder and chronic pain met criteria (62.7%-89.8%). This is the largest study to date examining aspects of the research criteria for the diagnosis of traumatic encephalopathy syndrome in the general population, and the first study to examine these criteria in women. This study has important clinical and public health implications. The potential rate for misdiagnosing traumatic encephalopathy syndrome in adults who are experiencing chronic pain, idiopathic mental health problems, or both is high.


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