The authors determined the prevalence of mental illness in 382 people
representative of the occupants of shelters for the homeless and cheap
single-room accommodations in inner-city areas of Melbourne. Clinicians
were trained to use a standardized diagnostic instrument, the Structured
Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R, to diagnose a range of severe mental
disorders, including psychotic, affective, and substance- related
disorders. Almost half the people interviewed received diagnoses of current
disorders, and over 70% received lifetime diagnoses. There was considerable
comorbidity. Many factors are likely to contribute to the concentration of
people with mental disorders in such homeless and disaffiliated groups.
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