Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: It's not the antidepressants, it's the keys R's Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) dropped from 19 to 6 the week after receiving the keys to a new flat.There had been no medication changes.a I work in a primary care pilot project for homeless and marginalised populations.My patients sleep in doorways and hostels, on friends' sofas, or in tents by the bypass.Others have recently left prison, are on probation, or are seeking asylum.Some were evicted after rent arrears, some fled domestic violence, and some fell between the cracks after relationship breakdowns.All share one thing: life is precarious.When life is precarious, mental health struggles and substance use flourish.I see anxiety, depression, paranoia, self-harm, and alcohol, heroin, and crack cocaine dependence -often all in the same person.Our team includes social prescribers and mental health practitioners, and they do remarkable work.Yet in both research and my experience, housing and basic security appear to be pivotal: when these improve, mood symptoms ease, relapses become less frequent, and the draw of alcohol or drugs often lessens.
Author: Hirrah Syed
Language: English
Subfield: General Health Professions
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4416815186
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