Co-creating Mental Health services that prevent a descent into Homelessness

Homelessness is a global issue exacerbated by poverty, forced migration, rapid urbanization, and lack of affordable housing. In India, around 1.8 million people were homeless in the 2011 Census, with many forced to sleep on the streets or in unofficial settlements. The link between homelessness, poverty, and mental illness is complex and uncertain. The increased risk of mental illness from poverty creates a greater risk of homelessness, with approximately 25% of homeless people experiencing serious mental health issues in India. The Poverty, Mental Illness & Homelessness (PMIH) nexus is particularly relevant in India due to its large homeless population, high resource inequalities, and high prevalence of mental illness. This thesis aims to understand the factors influencing homelessness in the population attending the clinic and find ways to leverage them in improving services. It focusses on the experiential knowledge of diverse stakeholders, including primarily women with severe mental illness, and identify pathways otherwise left unseen. By addressing the research gap and focusing on the experiences of women with severe mental illness, the Banyan better solutions may be found to address the complexities of poverty, mental illness, and homelessness in India. The interactive research approach and mixed methods are used to address the persistent problem of PMIH in outpatient clinics. The study focuses on understanding factors of homelessness among people with mental illness and the service needs and usage of those accessing outpatient facilities. It finds that 32.65% of women with mental illness accessing outpatient clinics reported experiencing homelessness, with low educational attainment and relational disruptions being associated with higher odds. Eliminating gender-based differences in education could be a crucial policy and practice direction to reduce homelessness risks among women with mental illness. The study examines the lived experiences of women wit