Abstract
Homeless persons with mental illness (HMI) pose a significant challenge to mental health services throughout the world. In India, data regarding HMI are scarce. This study aims to identify the sociodemographic characteristics, clinical and disability profile of homeless persons with mental illness residing in three welfare homes in Kerala. It is a descriptive study of the patients admitted in 3 government run homes for HMI to identify the sociodemographic and clinical profile of the inmates. Disability among inmates was assessed using IDEAS. The home for male HMI had 30 inmates while 71 inmates were residing in the homes for female HMI. Forty-one percent of the inmates were below 40 years of age. Ninety-four percent of the inmates were suffering from schizophrenia. Half of the females were from states outside Kerala. Moderate levels of disability were found in 71% of the study population. Among the inmates, 39% were married, while 24% owned property. Seventy-one percent were educated till high school or above. Schizophrenia was the most common mental illness among the HMI. Illiteracy and comorbid substance abuse were rare among them. About half of them were married. The majority of the HMI had moderate levels of disability. Reducing the treatment gap and providing community rehabilitation facilities are necessary to reduce homelessness among persons with severe mental illness.