Self-mutilation or self-harm is defined as the act of deliberately harming the surface of one’s own body without having suicidal intentions. This would include the act of “cutting, stabbing, burning and scratching the skin” (Tyler, Melander, & Almazan, 2010). A person that chooses to mutilate themselves often does so in places on their body that can be easily hidden from others. There are many situations that would cause a person to harm themselves. A few of those are stress, clinical depression or substance abuse. Self- mutilation is used as a way of relieving tension. Cutting takes their mind off the pain inside and let’s them focus on the physical pain instead. Cutting is also used by a person that feels numb inside, it makes them feel alive. …show more content…
Also, the study was preformed to find out if “certain stigmatized statuses exacerbate the risk of self-mutilation beyond the social circumstances of being homeless” (Tyler et al. 2010). It was believed that the correlates of self-mutilation among the homeless would be different than the correlates of those that self -mutilate but are not homeless. The thinking seemed to be that a homeless person would not have the same problems as a person that did not have the same type of circumstance. Homeless people and people of the general population would differ in more ways than just the place they slept at night. They also believed that homeless individuals would suffer with additional problems because of their gender or sexual orientation. They thought these things combined with the homelessness would make a person more susceptible to …show more content…
144 of the young adults were homeless and 55 were housed. The people that were considered to be homeless not only lived on the streets, but also in homeless shelters or with friends. Some had run away from home and others were kicked out. “Homelessness is a situation that is very fluid and is not easily defined” (Tyler et al. 2010). The participants chosen were in between the ages of 19 and 26. The people conducting the interviews were people that had experience in working with at risk individuals and they all completed training before they were allowed to interview the subjects. Because the subjects were mostly homeless and would be hard to keep in contact will, they were interviewed only one time. The interviews were held in interview rooms, or quiet places like the corners in a fast food establishment or coffee shop. The participants were interviewed for no longer than an hour and when the interview was over they were give $25. The participants were also offered counseling and food services after the interviews were concluded. The participants were asked questions about their gender, sexual orientation, whether they were sexually abused, or neglected. There were also question that pertained to the participants mental state and whether they used drug occasionally or were addicted. Also, the types of drugs whether legal or illegal were
Although The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is a program that guarantees education for the homeless youth population, many homeless do not receive the proper services they need because they are not aware of available resources (Heinze & Jozefowicz-Simbeni, 2009). Many homeless youths do not have a safe place to stay during the night or do not have any family or friends to rely on for support. In addition, approximately 7% of youth members in the United States are left without a home because of high dependence on an addictive substance or because they have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder (Heinze & Jozefowicz-Simbeni, 2009). Services that could provide shelter for the youth are often underused. Research in homeless youth
Self-harm, or self-mutilation, is the intentional action of harming oneself, generally without the intent to kill. It is estimated that over two million people self-harm in the United States alone (Pomere). When involved with depression, self-harm is generally used as a method of coping with stress and various feelings that they may be having. If depression manifests with feelings of inadequacies, one could feel like they deserve to be injured (Bartha). Over time, the act of self-injury could become an addiction. It could become an obsession (Pomere).
Lee et al. (2010) state living on the streets can increase social instability and drug abuse. These two interferences may ignite or resurface a person’s mental health problem. Roche (2004) says there is a significant relationship between homelessness, mental health, and physical health. A person with a mental health issue may possible neglect their physical health. McMahon (2009) outlines treatment a client who had poor physical, mental health and homelessness. Mental health issues do not predetermine poor physical health, but may be a related factor. Strine et al.(2012) outline studies on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) making connections to mental health issues and substance use while Montgomery, Cutuli, Evan-Chase, Treglia and Culhane (2013) makes a connection between ACE, h...
With nearly 3.18 million people in the United States, there are 610.042 individuals who are homeless which calculates to about nearly one in five individuals (U.S. Census Bureau, 2014 and HUD/US, 2013). At any time situations can change that can render an individual’s homeless. There are no qualities that exempt individuals from the chances of becoming homeless. However, there are certain predispositions and characteristics that can predict the likelihood of becoming homeless. Homelessness can be contributed to a number of situations such as occupational stress, financial stress, mental health issues, substance use, gender, age, race, disabilities, incarceration, chronic illness, and family stress.
Tyler, Kimberly A., PhD., Lisa Kort-Butler, and Alexis Swendener M.A. "The Effect of Victimization, Mental Health, and Protective Factors on Crime and Illicit Drug use among Homeless Young Adults." Violence and victims 29.2 (2014): 348-62. ProQuest. Web. 2 May 2014. .
Tulsa has a growing population of homeless people living in shelters and on the streets. Many of Tulsa’s homeless population suffer from untreated mental health issues that prevent them from becoming self-sufficient members of society. Making mental health treatment available to the homeless is not only imperative to their rehabilitation but a needed foundation to be productive in society. As a result of untreated mental health issues, it has created additional barriers for homeless individuals to overcome, which further complicates their ability to be successful and productive citizens within the community. While there are available resources for homeless individuals, they are not being effectively utilized. Creating additional resources,
Homelessness is a real serious health issue all over the world that must be addressed. A lot of people in a public frequently misunderstand the cause of homelessness. Remarks regarding homeless people such as “they need to just get a job” or “go to school” are normally used liberally by members of society because they neglect to look at the complete issue. Homelessness does not discriminate. Individuals that have previously experience or may experience being homeless can be from different regions, have different cultural backgrounds, ages, and could be of any gender. Minorities seem to be mostly affected by homelessness. A study done in 2012 found that the homeless population is consisted of 39% non-Hispanic Whites, 42% African-Americans, 13% Hispanic, 4% Native-American, and 2% Asian (Now on PBS, 2012). The End Homelessness website provides the following statistics:
Gerhard Buchkremer, “Prevalence of mental illness among homeless men in the community,” Original Paper Journal 40 (October 2004): 385, EBSCO Academic Search Premier (accessed February 29, 2012).
The youth homelessness population is increasing because of the many challenges that these children or teens face in everyday life; It also continues getting larger every year because of the many youth who are getting into dangerous situations that force them to be homeless or thru their own choosing. One third of the homeless population is between the ages of 16-24, which is incredibly young and it is the prime years for an adolescent or young adu...
Homeless young adults have increased health concerns as a result of poor living conditions, malnutrition and reduced development and still rarely have access to health care services. This is not only due to their socioeconomic status but other factors such as the stigmatization surrounding homelessness and the fear of discriminatory attitudes and being judged by health care workers (Haldenby, Berman, & Forchuk, 2007). Other factors that limit access to health care services are transportation and the need to locate food and shelter. Furthermore, the longer a person is living on the streets increases their risk of losing their family physician, therefore, for health care services they rely on walk-in clinics and emergency rooms. As these alternatives are extremely expensive many people only seek medical help when it is the last possible
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] used the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ definition of mental illness as “health conditions that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, or behavior (or some combination thereof) associated with distress and/or impaired functioning” (2011). Our community is exposed to a large number of individuals with mental illness. Among those individuals are the widespread homeless populations. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development reported “twenty-five percent of the sheltered homeless report a severe mental illness (as cited in Allender, Rector and Warner 2014 p. 907).” This author found the target population to be predominantly Caucasian, Non-Hispanic, single males of thirty-one years of age and older. In reviewing the research, this author found that multiple health disparities happen in conjunction with mental health and homelessness. This includes cardiac and respiratory issues and HIV/AIDs. Without the proper healthcare services, the homeless mental health population remains vulnerable.
Imagine a man on the streets, who society has forgotten. This man emits the smell of garbage; he has not bathed in months. This man sits quietly mumbling to himself. To the outer world he is just one of the many homeless, but little does society know that this man has a mental illness as well. Homelessness and mental illness are linked. These two happenings have similar beginnings. Homelessness is influenced by drug and alcohol disuse, being homeless at a young age, money problems, and trauma symptoms. Mental illness is caused by many of the same things, but it can also happen at birth. The effects that each entity has on a person are comparable. Rehabilitation is a necessary process if a victim of homelessness and or mental illness wants to rejoin society. Homelessness and mental illness have similar, if not the same causes, effects, and rehabilitations.
Let us look into basic and generalized knowledge of self injury. Self injury (self harm or S.I.) is the act of harming yourself as a way of coping with emotional pain, frustration, and anger. Some view it as a suicide attempt or a precursor to a suicide attempt, but it is not a suicide attempt at all. Rather, it is a serious cry for help. When an individual turns to self injury, they look for an emotional release which gives them momentary calmness. “While self-injury may bring a momentary sense of calm and a release of tension, it's usually followed by guilt and shame and the return of painful emotions” (Self Injury 1). Self injury can also result in serious or even fatal injuries (1).
Incest is not such a clear-cut matter as it has been made out to be over millennia of taboos. Many participants claim to have enjoyed the act and its physical and emotional consequences. It is often the result of seduction. In some cases, two consenting and fully informed adults are involved. Many types of relationships, which are defined as incestuous, are between genetically unrelated parties (a stepfather and a daughter), or between fictive kin or between classificatory kin (that belong to the same matriline or patriline). In certain societies (the American Indians or the Chinese) it is sufficient to carry the same family name (=to belong to the same clan) and marriage is forbidden. Some incest prohibitions relate to sexual acts - other to marriage. In some societies, incest is mandatory or prohibited, according to the social class (Bali). In others, the Royal House started a tradition of incestuous marriages, which were imitated by lower classes (Ancient Egypt). The list is long and it serves to demonstrate the diversity of this most universal taboo. Generally put, we can say that a prohibition to have sex with or marry a related person should be classified as an incest prohibition, no matter the nature of the relationship.
Many believe that a common thread among the homeless is a lack of permanent and stable housing. But beyond that, the factors leading to homelessness and the services that are needed are unique according to the individual. To put them into one general category ? the homeless- suggests that people are homeless for similar reasons and therefore a single solution is the answer. Every homeless person shares the basic needs of affordable housing, adequate incomes and attainable healthcare. But a wide range of other unmet needs cause some people to become or remain homeless which include drug treatment, employment training, transportation, childcare and mental health services (Center 8.)