Should homelessness alone be a criterion for mental health treatment?
Despite the enormous challenges facing the homeless population, many are seen in our clinics hopeful and endorsing a fair mood. Many are polite and answer questions in an attempt to diminish the burden they feel they impose on others, including the medical system. Many display strong resiliency and find ways to cope, relate, and find meaning despite their challenging circumstances. Yet, many also come to us suffering and seeking assistance.
Dr. Mari Janowsky
We routinely see the distress and hopelessness in our patients suffering from homelessness. We think that psychiatry is capable of softening those daily traumas using supportive therapy. We think that psychiatry is capable of positively challenging the despondency by activating meaning and purpose, as suggested by Dr. Frankl. While those are not typical interventions in modern psychiatry, they are established and validated. By considering homelessness in and of itself a criterion for mental health treatment, we can begin to address those challenges, and engage in alternative, longer lasting treatment considerations.
How to proceed?
Though the answer for caring for the homeless may not be in psychopharmacology, we think that psychiatry could enhance the care of the homeless by pursuit of two main goals.