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When social problems converge: homeless, mentally ill, chemical misusing men in New York City
1Argus Community Inc., Department of Research and Evaluation, Bronx, New York 10456, USA.
Insights
Homeless, mentally ill, and chemically misusing men often experience severe psychiatric and substance issues. Early parental absence and social rootlessness may contribute to this complex syndrome.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Psychiatry
- Public Health
Background:
- Homelessness, mental illness, and chemical misuse (HMICM) are prevalent in urban areas.
- The sociological phenomenon of HMICM individuals remains understudied.
- Existing research often focuses on individual pathologies rather than broader social factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To sociologically examine the characteristics of homeless, mentally ill, chemical misusing men.
- To investigate the psychosocial, familial, and childhood histories of HMICM individuals.
- To identify potential contributing factors to the HMICM syndrome.
Main Methods:
- Interviewed 518 HMICM men seeking community-based treatment.
- Collected data on psychosocial characteristics, family background, and childhood history.
- Employed qualitative and quantitative analysis of interview data.
Main Results:
- HMICM men exhibit severe psychiatric and substance misuse problems.
- A common pattern of early parental absence (fathers and mothers) was identified.
- Social rootlessness was observed in a significant portion of the study group.
Conclusions:
- Early parental absence and social rootlessness are hypothesized as significant factors in the HMICM syndrome.
- Findings suggest a need for interventions addressing familial and social determinants.
- Further research is warranted to explore the interplay of social factors and HMICM conditions.
Abstract:
Despite their pervasiveness in large American cities, homeless, mentally ill, chemical misusing (HMICM) people have rarely been studied as a sociological phenomenon. In this study, 518 HMICM men who sought community-based treatment were interviewed at length on their psychosocial characteristics, family background, and childhood history. The findings show these HMICM men to have severe psychiatric and substance misuse problems. Examination of their family background reveals a common pattern represented by the absence of their fathers and often of their mothers from very early age. Fatherlessness and social rootlessness are hypothesized as related to the HMICM syndrome.