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Citation
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Nishio A, Yamamoto M, Ueki H, Watanabe T, Matsuura K, Tamura O, Uehara R, Shioiri T. Psychiatry Clin. Neurosci. 2014; 69(9): 534-542. |
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Affiliation
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Health Administration Center, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan; Department of Psychopathology, Division of Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan. |
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Abstract
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AIM: While it has been reported that the prevalence of mental illness is higher in homeless people than in the national population, few studies have investigated the prevalence of intellectual and developmental disability among homeless. In this study, we conducted a survey to comprehensively assess these mental problems among homeless in Nagoya, Japan.
METHODS: The subjects were 18 homeless men. Mental illness was diagnosed with semi-structured interviews conducted by psychiatrists. We used WAIS-III to diagnose intellectual disability. Discrepancies between WAIS-III subtest scores were used as criteria of developmental disability.
RESULTS: Eleven of the 18 participants were diagnosed with mental illness: 6 with mood disorder, 2 with psychotic disorder, and 6 with alcohol problem. The mean IQ of all subjects was 83.4 ± 27.4. The 95% confidence interval was 96.2-69.1. Seven participants were found to have intellectual disability. Three men showed discrepancies of more than 10 between subtest scores, and all of them were diagnosed with a mental illness. We divided the participants into four groups; those with mental illness only, those with intellectual disability only, those with both problems, and those without diagnosis. The men with intellectual disability only were significantly younger and had been homeless since a younger age than the other groups. Participants diagnosed with a mental illness had been homeless for longer than those without mental health problems.
CONCLUSION: Although the sample size was limited, this study revealed the high prevalence of mental illness and intellectual disability, 61% (95%CI: 35%-83%) and 39 % (95% CI: 17%-64%), respectively, in homeless, Nagoya, Japan.
Language: en |