Annotations on mental health impact to homelessness
NURS 491 - Nursing Management (D)
Liberty University
Name
2022
Annotations on mental health impact to homelessness
Flores, M., Kairis, K., Ater, S., Stein, A., Chen, G., & Mifflin, M. (2021). Implementation of a
Mental Health Screening Tool at an Adult Homeless Shelter Student-Run Free Clinic in
Arizona. Journal of Student-Run Clinics, 7(1). Retrieved from
https://journalsrc.org/index.php/jsrc/article/view/146
The authors of this paper indicates that homeless people are more likely to suffer from mental
illnesses. The primary goal of this project was to develop a screening tool and establish the gap
between traditional H&P tests and the new screening tool in terms of diagnosing mental health
disorders. Adult patients at a homeless shelter-based SRFC completed a mental health
screening survey separate from acute-care visits to identify "high-risk" mental health conditions
using validated questionnaires for detecting domestic violence, alcohol use, depression,
anxiety, and mood disorders. Patients who screened positive for a high-risk condition using the
survey and those with a high-risk condition documented in the acute-care H&P were compared
to see any overlap. The volume of visits was tallied and analyzed using a t-test between the pre-
and post-intervention periods. Volunteers were asked to complete a survey to provide
feedback on their experiences (Flores et al., 2021). The screening survey found higher cases of
mental illness than the initial routine medical interview.
Gordon, S. J., Grimmer, K., Bradley, A., Direen, T., Baker, N., Marin, T., Kelly, M. T., Gardner, S.,
Steffens, M., Burgess, T., Hume, C., & Oliffe, J. L. (2019). Health assessments and screening tools
for adults experiencing homelessness: a systematic review. BMC public health, 19(1), 994.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-7234-y
Gordon et al. (2019) argue that globally, homelessness is on the rise. It leads to lower physical
and mental health than people of the same age who live in permanent homes. To support
efficient resourcing, planning, and service delivery by government and care organizations,
better data on the health requirements of those experiencing homelessness is required. This
study emphasized the importance of developing consistent and thorough mental health
screening instruments validated with and targeted to homeless persons. From the start of the
database until September 2018, a systematic literature search was undertaken in PubMed (and
Medline), PsychInfo, Scopus, CINAHL, and ERIC. The terms "homeless," "homeless folks,"
"vagrancy," "health status," "health," "health issues," "health evaluation," and "health
screening" were all employed.
Ganesh, A., Campbell, D. J., Hurley, J., & Patten, S. (2013). High positive psychiatric screening
rates in an urban homeless population. Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de
psychiatrie, 58(6), 353–360. https://doi.org/10.1177/070674371305800607
The goal of this study was to conduct a preliminary evaluation of the use of a psychiatric
screening tool in an urban homeless community and estimate the incidence of undiagnosed or
mismanaged mental illness in this population (Ganesh et al., 2013). Participants (n = 166) were
recruited from the Calgary Drop-in and Rehab Centre to complete a six-module questionnaire
that screened for prevalent psychiatric disorders. The analysis relied on summary statistics.
Only 12 responders (7 percent) tested negative on each of the six modules. The screening
technique revealed that 60.2 percent of the sample (n = 100) had probable mental illness but
had never been diagnosed or treated. In this population, a basic screening application (where
screen-positive people are directed for examination) would be challenging because most will
screen positive. The findings demonstrate the significant burden of mental health issues in
homeless population.
