> Now I understand why there are so many mentally ill homeless folks. The state of being homeless is very depressing and can bring about mental illness in the p

> Now I understand why there are so many mentally ill homeless folks. The state of being homeless is very depressing and can bring about mental illness in the previously undiagnosed. I'm not sure this is actually the explanation he thinks it is. A significant portion of homeless people had mental illnesses before losing their house. In many cases, illnesses like schizophrenia or untreated mood disorders contribute to homelessness by making it harder to maintain the social connections that form a safety net for many people (for instance, if the poster had driven away all his friends with manic episodes before becoming homeless, nobody would have been around to lend him a car and go get a new contracting job).