The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

A comparison of the presentation of personality disorders within a homeless population : do those that access mental health services present differently to those that do not?

A comparison of the presentation of personality disorders within a homeless population : do those that access mental health services present differently to those that do not?
A comparison of the presentation of personality disorders within a homeless population : do those that access mental health services present differently to those that do not?

This paper reviews existing literature on the homeless population worldwide, with a particular focus on research conducted in the UK, in order to identify who the homeless are in the UK and what provisions exist for them in current government policies and initiatives. It begins by reviewing studies that attempt to identify risk factors for homelessness. Risk factors are discussed through macro (economic) and micro (individual) level concepts and the role they have in both causing and maintaining homelessness. Current estimates of mental illness among the homeless are reviewed as well as the effect of resettlement on mental illness. The paper then focuses on pathways into homelessness, paying particular attention to the relationship between trauma, personality disorder and coping styles within the homeless population and the specific role that some coping behaviours have in chronic homelessness. Literature is examined from the fields of mental health, personality disorder and coping conducted with general, psychiatric, and homeless populations and explores the complex relationship between individual risk factors, personality disorders and subsequent coping behaviours, in an attempt to understand the contribution they have to the process of becoming and remaining homeless. Finally, the paper examines existing models that have attempted to incorporate risk factors in explaining pathways to homelessness and concludes by hypothesising a model that includes both personality disorder characteristics and coping behaviours in perpetuating homelessness. The paper concludes by discussing future directions for research among this vulnerable population.

University of Southampton
McClean, Louisa
59edd8fa-f00e-48dc-8433-0ebf6a3b6d71
McClean, Louisa
59edd8fa-f00e-48dc-8433-0ebf6a3b6d71

McClean, Louisa (2008) A comparison of the presentation of personality disorders within a homeless population : do those that access mental health services present differently to those that do not? University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.

Record type: Thesis (Doctoral)

Abstract

This paper reviews existing literature on the homeless population worldwide, with a particular focus on research conducted in the UK, in order to identify who the homeless are in the UK and what provisions exist for them in current government policies and initiatives. It begins by reviewing studies that attempt to identify risk factors for homelessness. Risk factors are discussed through macro (economic) and micro (individual) level concepts and the role they have in both causing and maintaining homelessness. Current estimates of mental illness among the homeless are reviewed as well as the effect of resettlement on mental illness. The paper then focuses on pathways into homelessness, paying particular attention to the relationship between trauma, personality disorder and coping styles within the homeless population and the specific role that some coping behaviours have in chronic homelessness. Literature is examined from the fields of mental health, personality disorder and coping conducted with general, psychiatric, and homeless populations and explores the complex relationship between individual risk factors, personality disorders and subsequent coping behaviours, in an attempt to understand the contribution they have to the process of becoming and remaining homeless. Finally, the paper examines existing models that have attempted to incorporate risk factors in explaining pathways to homelessness and concludes by hypothesising a model that includes both personality disorder characteristics and coping behaviours in perpetuating homelessness. The paper concludes by discussing future directions for research among this vulnerable population.

Text
1230383.pdf - Version of Record
Available under License University of Southampton Thesis Licence.
Download (6MB)

More information

Published date: 2008

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 467154
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/467154
PURE UUID: 4a619f30-b56b-499a-9099-b5920166a2f0

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 05 Jul 2022 08:14
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 21:01

Export record

Contributors

Author: Louisa McClean

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×