OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to investigate the differences between homeless with schizophrenia and non-homeless with schizophrenia, and to identify the correlators of homelessness in schizophrenic patients. METHODS: Forty two schizophrenic inpatients were divided into the homeless group (n=19) and non-homeless group (n=23). Psychopathologic measures, neurocognitive tests, hinting task, and the Social and Occupational Function Assessment Scale (SOFAS) were administered in both groups. RESULTS: SOFAS showed high correlation with homelessness in schizophrenic inpatients. Duration of Untreated Psychosis, negative component of Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Continuous Performance Test (CPT) correct number, and hinting task were all mediated by SOFAS to explain homelessness in schizophrenic inpatients. In particular, CPT correct number showed direct correlation with homelessness without mediation by SOFAS. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that cognitive rehabilitation and social skill training may be helpful in prevention of homelessness of schizophrenic patients. Social cognition and neurocognitive test including CPT may be useful for evaluating the risk of homelessness in schizophrenic patients.
Cognition ; Homeless Persons* ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Negotiating ; Psychotic Disorders ; Rehabilitation ; Schizophrenia*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate character strengths, physical and mental health status of the homeless. METHODS: Data were collected from November 2014 to March 2016 through the VIA-IS questionnaires and the DESC vulnerability assessment tool. The participants were 120 adultmen living in two self-reliance support facilities for homeless people, located in S city, Korea. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, and ANOVA with SPSS/WIN 23.0 program. RESULTS: Physical health status of the participants was as following: ‘chronicmedical conditions that were not well-managed or significant physical impairment’ 11.7%, and ‘stable significant medical or physical issues, or chronic medical conditions that were being managed’ 46.7%. The mental health status included mild 23.3%,moderate 11.7%, and seriousmental health issues 4.2%. There were no significant differences in physical health status by signature character groups, while mental health status (F=2.46, p=.038) of the courage group was worse than that of the temperance group. CONCLUSION: Findings indicate thatmental health status of homeless people should bemanagedmore appropriately and effective nursing interventions need to be developed using their signature character. However, further research about physical health status by signature character of the homeless is needed.
Courage ; Homeless Persons ; Humans ; Korea ; Mental Health ; Nursing ; Temperance

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to examine the level of anger, anger expression, depression, psychosomatic symptom and perceived health status, and to identify the influencing factors of anger expression in shelter residents. METHODS: This study employed a descriptive correlational design. Data were collected from 407 homeless people residing at 27 shelters using structured instruments. RESULTS: The level of anger expression was different by age, educational level, existence of children, and duration of shelter residency. Anger expression was significantly correlated with depression, psychosomatic symptoms and perceived health status. The predictors of high-level anger expression was younger age, low educational level, duration of shelter residency in Model 1 (F=6.884, p<.001, Adj. R2=.065), and depression and psychosomatic symptoms in Model 2 (F=7.197, p<.001, Adj. R2=.113). CONCLUSION: This study suggested that the homeless in the shelters had various psychological vulnerabilities, and therefore more individualized programs based on their needs and psychological health status should be provided for the homeless.
Anger* ; Child ; Depression ; Homeless Persons ; Humans ; Internship and Residency

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of homeless persons. METHODS: A phenomenological methodology was used for the study. Participants were people enrolled in the Center for homeless persons in Kyunggi Province and eligible for the study. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with nine participants between October 13 and November 16, 2016. Data analysis was conducted using Colaizzi's method. RESULTS: Five themes and twenty meanings were formulated for experiences of homeless persons. The five themes were ‘Abandoning their life’, ‘Being familiar with a free homeless life’, ‘Being isolated from the world’, ‘Being impoverished’, ‘Desire to break away from the life of homelessness’. CONCLUSION: The study results suggest the need for a holistic understanding of the essential structure of the lived experiences of homeless persons. Mental health professionals need to understand the homelessness experiences from the client view and to develop programs that can help homeless persons reintegrate into the community.
Gyeonggi-do ; Homeless Persons* ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Methods ; Qualitative Research ; Statistics as Topic

BACKGROUND: Homelessness is associated with an increased risk of exposure to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Several factors, including alcoholism, malnutrition, lack of stable housing, combine to make tuberculosis more prevalent in the homeless. The aims of this study were to determine the factors associated with increasing success rate of tuberculosis treatment in the homeless. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis of the clinical features in 142 pulmonary tuberculosis-positive homeless patients admitted to the Busan Medical Center from January 2001 to December 2010 was carried out. These results were compared with a successful treatment group and incomplete treatment group. We also evaluated the risk factors of treatment non-completion. Statistical analysis for the comparisons was performed using a chi2 test, independent samples t-test, and multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: Comparison of clinical characteristics showed significant differences between the two groups in the type of residence (P < 0.001), diseases with risk factors (P = 0.003), and history of tuberculosis treatment (P = 0.009). Multiple regression analysis revealed the residence (odds ratio [OR], 4.77; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.05 to 11.10; P < 0.001) and comorbidity with risk factor (OR, 2.72; 95% CI, 1.13 to 6.53; P = 0.025) to be independently associated with treatment success. CONCLUSION: To improve the success rate of tuberculosis treatment in the homeless person, anti tuberculosis medication should be taken until the end of treatment and a management system for the homeless person is required. Further social and medical concerns for stable housing and management of comorbidity may lead to an improvement in the successful tuberculosis treatment of homeless person.
Alcoholism ; Comorbidity ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Homeless Persons ; Hospitals, Public ; Housing ; Humans ; Malnutrition ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Risk Factors ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

OBJECTIVES: This exploratory study was designed to estimate the socio-demographic characteristics, course of homelessness, adverse childhood experiences, and prevalence of mental disorders among the street homeless people in Seoul, Korea. In addition, we examined the associations between chronic homelessness and study variables. METHODS: The study subjects were 75 homeless people dwelling in the street around Seoul Station. Questionnaires related to socio-demographic data and the course of homelessness were provided to each subject. The subjects' Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV) mental disorder diagnoses were made by using Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview-Plus interviews. RESULTS: Most subjects exhibited chronic homelessness and the prevalence of DSM-IV mental disorders among the homeless subjects was higher than that among the Korean general population. There was a statistically significant association between chronic homelessness and adverse childhood experiences. Compared to those with no history of childhood adversity, homeless people with a history of childhood adversity had a younger age of first homeless episode and a higher prevalence of DSM-IV major mental disorders. The association between DSM-IV diagnosis and chronic homelessness was not significant, but the group with mental disorders had more prevalent re-housing and homeless recurrent histories. CONCLUSION: Street homeless people were often involved in chronic homelessness. Results of this study suggest that homeless people who were never married and had adverse childhood experiences were more vulnerable to chronic homelessness. In addition, we detected a possible relationship between the recurrence of homelessness and the presence of mental disorders.
Diagnosis ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Homeless Persons* ; Humans ; Korea ; Mental Disorders ; Prevalence ; Recurrence ; Seoul ; Single Person

BACKGROUND: Recently, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in Korea is rapidly increasing. It is known that this increase is related with the change of environmental factors. We performed study to determine the prevalence of diabetes and to investigate their risk factors in Hope Village taking in low socio-economic people. METHODS: Total 1,425 subjects (905 men and 520 women) aged over 20 years in Daegu city Hope Village were venipunctured after overnight fasting to measure plasma glucose level and interviewed about their past medical and social history. We also collected standard anthropometric data. All the data were analyzed by SPSS 9.0 program. RESULTS: The prevalence of diabetes by using the revised new American Diabetes Association criteria was 13.5% (male=10.1%, female=19.4%) and the prevalence of impaired fasting glucose was 11.3% (male=8.7%, female=15.8%). It was observed that the significant factors associated with diabetes were age, sex, serum triglyceride level, systolic blood pressure. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of diabetes in Hope Village was relative higher than that of the previous suggested population based studies in Yonchon County and Jungup District. But the risk factors of newly diagnosed diabetes were similar with those of the previous studies.
Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; Daegu ; Diabetes Mellitus* ; Epidemiology ; Fasting ; Glucose ; Homeless Persons ; Hope* ; Humans ; Jeollabuk-do ; Korea ; Male ; Mentally Ill Persons ; Prevalence* ; Risk Factors* ; Triglycerides

OBJECTIVE: Several studies have reported that ethnic differences influence psychiatric diagnoses. Some previous studies reported that African Americans and Hispanics are diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders more frequently than Caucasians, and that Caucasians are more likely to be diagnosed with affective disorders than other ethnic groups. We sought to identify associations between sociodemographic factors and psychiatric diagnosis. METHODS: We retrospectively examined the medical records of all psychiatric inpatients (ages over 18 years) treated at Kern county mental hospital (n=2,051) between July 2003 and March 2007 for demographic, clinical information, and discharge diagnoses. RESULTS: African American and Hispanic males were more frequently diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders than Caucasians, whereas Caucasian females were more frequently diagnosed with affective disorders than females in the other ethnic groups, suggesting that patient ethnicity and gender may influence clinical diagnoses. Demographic variables, that is, a lower education, failure of marriage, homelessness, and low quality insurance, were found to be significantly associated with a diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum disorders after adjusting for clinical variables. And, the presence of a family psychiatric history, failure of marriage, not-homelessness, and quality insurance were found to be associated with a diagnosis of affective disorders. CONCLUSION: Our results show that these demographic factors, including ethnicity, have effects on diagnoses in psychiatric inpatients. Furthermore, these variables may help prediction of psychiatric diagnoses.
African Americans ; Demography ; Ethnic Groups ; Female ; Hispanic Americans ; Homeless Persons ; Hospitals, Psychiatric ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Insurance ; Male ; Marriage ; Medical Records ; Mental Disorders ; Mood Disorders ; Retrospective Studies ; Schizophrenia

OBJECTIVES: Recently the issue on the violation of human rights has been raised in mental health system in Korea. In these cirmstances this study was conducted to investigate the length of stay of psychiatric inpatients by sociodemographic, clinical characteristics, and type of mental health facilities. METHODS: The total 1,028 subjects were randomly selected from 22 mental health facilities, including mental hospitals, general hospitals, psychiatric clinics, mental health welfare facilities, welfare facilities for homelessness, and illegal asylums. The subjects were interviewed by psychiatrists and social workers with clinical experiences. RESULTS: The average length of stay of psychiatric inpatients of mental health facilities in Korea was 1,368 days, and it was statistically different according to sociodemographic and clinical characteristics such as sex, age, education, religion, economic status, type of medical security, degree of family support, living condition before admission, diagnosis, age of onset, and number of admissions. In addition, the length of stay was associated with the type of mental health facilities. CONCLUSION: For more appropriated length of stay of psychiatric inpatients, not only various incentives for service suppliers are needed but also medical and socioeconomic incentives for patients and familiy members should be considered in order to facilitate their community-living.
Age of Onset ; Diagnosis ; Education ; Homeless Persons ; Hospitals, General ; Hospitals, Psychiatric ; Human Rights ; Humans ; Inpatients* ; Korea ; Length of Stay* ; Mental Health ; Motivation ; Psychiatry ; Social Conditions ; Social Workers

BACKGROUND: Since recent economic crisis(IMF) in Korea, the number of new homeless is increasing(that is, 'IMF style homeless'). There are only few studies on the health problem of this uniquely formed population. We have attempted to estimate the problem of health behavior and health status of this population. METHODS: Some homeless who agreed to enter the asylum during the winter were taken for medical check-up in Sungbuk Community Health Center from November to December, 1998. The participants filled up a self-reported questionnaire and physical examination, laboratory test, and chest x-ray were performed. RESULTS: Among 'IMF style homeless', the prevalence of hypertension(30.9% in primary screening, 7.3% in secondary screening), diabetes mellitus(9.4% in primary screening, 3.5% in secondary screening), syphilis(7.3%), and hepatitis B antigen carrier(5.3%) was higher than among the general population. But we could not find statistical difference according to the duration of homelessness. We found higher smoking rate and higher alcohol drinking amount per week in homeless than in the general population. The amount of alcohol drinking per week was larger among those who had been homeless for more than 3 months(p< 0.01). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of chronic diseases in homeless was higher than in the general population, but statistical difference according to the duration of homelessness could not be found. The longer the duration of homelessness, the larger the amount of alcohol drinkin was seeng.
Alcohol Drinking ; Chronic Disease ; Community Health Centers ; Health Behavior ; Hepatitis B ; Homeless Persons ; Humans ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; Physical Examination ; Prevalence ; Seoul* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Thorax ; Surveys and Questionnaires