HOMELESSNESS AND MENTAL ILLNESS: LIVED EXPERIENCES OF INSTITUTIONALIZED WOMEN IN INDIA

Febna Moorkath¹*, Vranda MN²*, Naveen Kumar C³*

¹PhD Scholar, Department of Psychiatric Social Work, NIMHANS, India, febnamkt@gmail.com

²Dr.Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatric Social Work, NIMHANS, India, Vrindamn@gmail.com

³Dr. Additional Professor, Department of Psychiatry, NIMHANS, India, ckumar1974@gmail.com

*Corresponding Author

 

Abstract

Background: The nexus presentation of homelessness and mental ill health is considered to be the major growing epidemic in both developing and developed countries. In a macro sense, this spiral phenomenon leads to the catastrophic effects in the nation building process. In India like patriarchal society, women are considered to be the most vulnerable population, the bi directionality of homelessness and mental ill health scenario creates a vicious circle, where women ended up in leading their lives inside the shelter care homes.

Methods: Qualitative Research design was used to collect the data from institutionalized homeless women with chronic mental illness in Urban Bengaluru district of Karnataka, India. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis approach.

Results: This study revealed the life journey of homeless women with chronic mental illness, themes emerged were mainly associated with the disclosure about the past events, memories of home and family, experiences associated with the stigma and discrimination-abandonment-homelessness and mental ill health, pathways to homelessness, current situation in the shelter care homes, the meaning of life and the hopes and expectations for the future.

Conclusion: The constructive aspects of psychiatric rehabilitation efforts and effective community based housing programmes are relatively lacking in Indian context. The homeless women with chronic mental illness live in social isolation and rotating their life in a vicious cycle of stigma and discrimination.  The findings of the results are discussed in the context of bring gender sensitive policy level changes, rehabilitation services and programmes for homeless women with chronic mental illness in India. 

Keywords: Homelessness, Women with Mentalillness, Institutionalization