Search

The concept of Mental Homelessness is presented and developed. This paper will provide a historical review of the connection between mental illness and housing and the changing approaches toward institutionalization and de-institutionalization over several centuries. Case illustrations from practice in Israel will be presented to highlight the theme of home, or rather the theme of lacking a home as an element which may be inherent to a mental illness. More specifically, the paper argues that homelessness is a state of mind of which the actual, physical homelessness may be a manifested reflection of. If so, even if a mental patient does initially own a home, he or she is at high risk to lose it somehow. This work is a primary attempt at developing a new idea, stemming originally from the field of mental health, with an attempt to widen its theoretical scope to populations not usually defined as mentally ill. Clinical characteristics are presented, as well as an attempt at a theoretical formulation of this concept permitting the development of therapeutic implications. These are presented in relation to existing psychodynamic concepts and therapeutic approaches related to the phenomenon of homelessness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on social problems and public policy. Public policy often involves conflicting policy goals, short-term and long-term trade-offs, and unforeseen consequences. Despite the advance of individualism in both political and economic spheres over the past few decades, the persistence of social problems continues to demand a macroperspective through which the relational and emergent nature of these problems can be understood. Today there seems to be less optimism that societal choices, based on a public interest that is arrived at democratically, can be made and politicians trusted with them. The public interest rationale for public policy is thus under pressure from the spread of individualism and social fragmentation. The increasing participation of women in employment is necessitating the replacement of their unpaid care work with funded services, and the principle of the deserving poor that underpins its public welfare provision is being challenged by the rise of social problems such as homelessness.

Chapter Fourteen of Part Four of the book "The Ethics of Homelessness," edited by G. John M. Abbarno is presented. It highlights some concepts of liberalism which can be applied to the rights of homeless persons. It explores the application of the right to privacy to these individuals and the responsibility of the government to protect the citizens from homelessness.

The article focuses on the pattern and common associations of criminal behavior among the elderly in Great Britain. Studies have found that shoplifting is the most common indictable offense committed by the elderly. It is revealed that the elderly's share of sex offenses is higher than for indictable offenses. The most typical associations of criminal behavior among older people include alcohol abuse, homelessness and psychiatric illness.