Health & Homelessness
Being homeless can make you sick; being sick can make you homeless.
In 2010 Cork Simon Community conducted a health study among all men and women using Cork Simon services during the last week of July. Homelessness Makes You Sick found that:
• 66% had a mental health condition – 39% diagnosed and a further 27% displayed symptoms suggesting a mental health condition, but at the time of the Health Study had not been diagnosed.
• 14% had two or more diagnosed mental health conditions.
• The most common mental health conditions were Depression, Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder.
• 49% had a physical health condition.
• The most common physical health conditions were Wounds and Injuries, Heart related conditions and Respiratory Disorders.
• 20% had both a physical and mental health condition
• 83% of people used alcohol.
• 27% reported complications as a result of alcohol, indicating problem alcohol use.
• 45% of people used drugs – 14% were intravenous drug users and 4% reported complications as a result of intravenous drug use.
• 51% of people were referred to health services
• 14% of people were admitted to A&E during the month of July 2010.
• 13% of people self-harmed
• 8% of people had attempted suicide in the previous six months.
Like to know more? Download Homelessness Makes You Sick
Over the course of one week in early July 2011, Good Shepherd Services and Cork Simon Community worked together to record the health and related needs of people using our respective services. Women’s Health and Homelessness in Cork found that:
• 52% of women had a diagnosed mental health condition.
• The most common diagnosed mental health condition was depression, affecting 40% of women.
• 57% of women had a diagnosed physical health condition.
• 28% of women had two or more diagnosed physical health conditions.
• 36% of women had a combined diagnosed physical and mental health condition.
• 40% of women used alcohol - 59% of women using alcohol indicated problem alcohol use.
• 20% of women used drugs - 52% of women that used drugs, used heroin.
• 39% of women had challenging behaviour.
• 28% of women had to be admitted to Accident & Emergency in the previous month.
• 17% of women self-harmed.
• 16% of women expressed suicidal thoughts - 5% of women attempted suicide in the previous six months.
• In the case of 25% of women, family conflict was a trigger for first becoming homeless. In the case of 24% of women, domestic violence was a trigger for first becoming homeless.
Like to know more? Download Women’s Health and Homelessness in Cork
