St Mungo's believes that homelessness is usually a symptom of more fundamental problems. Many rough sleepers are either mentally ill, physically ill, heavy drinkers or drug users. They usually have more difficult family backgrounds than most, which may lie at the root of many of these problems. Rough sleepers have often found it difficult to sustain close ties with others, and the break-up of a relationship is the most common trigger for going on the street.
Mental ill health can be both a cause and a consequence of rough sleeping and homelessness. In 2009, our 40th anniversary year, we initiated a Call for Evidence about the links between mental health and street homelessness.
Read our Down and Out? report and also our Happiness Matters - Full Report - the latter based on peer research among our clients.
See also our innovative LifeWorks Recovery Results Briefing April 2011
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