Established 2005 Registered Charity No. 1110656
Scottish Charity Register No. SC043760
DONATE
RECENT TWEETS
Low income, debt, and unemployment all increase the risk of suicide, but they are also some of the causes of homelessness.
While empty apartments are rising on every last inch of land in London, the cracks in society are getting wider. We feel this shift and register the balance is off, but now the Samaritan’s report Dying from Inequality (2017) has revealed the mortal harm of this injustice.
The report finds that areas with higher social and economic deprivation tend to have higher rates of suicide – two to three times higher than the most affluent areas. While it may come as no surprise that living in poor conditions facilitates human misery, this report shows how austerity has left the most vulnerable at greater risk.
The shattering loss of a home or a job severs social ties and breaks up support structures, key protective factors against stress, leaving the individual more isolated and at greater risk. Those already on the edge are hardest hit, as the risk of suicide is amplified if a person is already experiencing multiple negative life events, such as poor health, unemployment, poor living conditions and social isolation.
With increasingly limited access to services and support, those in more socio-economically disadvantaged circumstances were left more vulnerable.
These same circumstances which increase the risk of suicide – low income, debt, and unemployment – are also recognised by charities such as Shelter as being among the structural causes of homelessness.
Echoing other experts in the field, Alex Bax, Chief Executive of Pathway, a homeless health charity, says they are “seeing the impact of austerity” on wellbeing. “The benefit system is becoming harsher, harder to deal with and people are given less money. It’s difficult accessing what’s available; there are more barriers, and there is more gatekeeping.”
With cuts to mental health services, the housed population faces longer waiting times for assessment and treatment, but for the homeless population accessing these services is fraught with further difficulties.
One of Pathway’s Experts by Experience, Stan [name change], has observed “two huge pitfalls for someone who is homeless, the lack of a fixed address and dual diagnosis".
Gaining access to healthcare services, particularly GP practices, has historically been problematic for those in the homeless population without a fixed address or forms of identification. It often forces people to turn to A&E when their health condition has worsened and become more difficult to treat. Additionally, as many in the homeless population are not fixed to a local area, they are more likely to slip between healthcare service providers, further preventing access to treatment.
At a time when there is evident need for more support, drug and alcohol services are also being slashed, even though drug-related deaths are at a record high according to the Office for National Statistics.
Cuts to these services exacerbate the difficulties in treating complex conditions such as dual diagnosis, or a mental health problem combined with problematic substance use. There is currently no agreed upon point of contact or treatment for dual diagnosis, with mental health services and drug and alcohol teams arguing the initial responsibility for treatment lies with the other.
It is commonly known that substance use is employed as a coping strategy by some individuals to manage existing mental health problems. So while services are quarrelling over who should take responsibility, potential patients are left to self-medicate, further entrenching existing mental health and substance use problems.
Not denying the good intentions of healthcare professionals in both services, without joined-up thinking this fragmented system of support leaves the individual knocking at the doors of bureaucracy and at a greater risk of harm.
Austerity has deeply fractured our society, severing support structures and leaving the most vulnerable at risk.
• Read Dying from Inequality on https://www.samaritans.org
December 2024 – January 2025 : Solidarity
CONTENTS
BACK ISSUES
- Issue 153 : December 2024 – January 2025 : Solidarity
- Issue 152 : October – November 2024 : Change
- Issue 151 : August – September 2024 : Being Heard
- Issue 150 : June – July 2024 : Reflections
- Issue 149 : April – May 2024 : Compassion
- Issue 148 : February – March 2024 : The little things
- Issue 147 : December 2023 – January 2024 : Next steps
- Issue 146 : October 2023 – November 2023 : Kind acts
- Issue 145 : August 2023 – September 2023 : Mental health
- Issue 144 : June 2023 – July 2023 : Community
- Issue 143 : April 2023 - May 2023 : Hope springs
- Issue 142 : February 2023 - March 2023 : New Beginnings
- Issue 141 : December 2022 - January 2023 : Winter Homeless
- Issue 140 : October - November 2022 : Resolve
- Issue 139 : August - September 2022 : Creativity
- Issue 138 : June - July 2022 : Practical advice
- Issue 137 : April - May 2022 : Connection
- Issue 136 : February - March 2022 : RESPECT
- Issue 135 : Dec 2021 - Jan 2022 : OPPORTUNITY
- Issue 134 : September-October 2021 : Losses and gains
- Issue 133 : July-August 2021 : Know Your Rights
- Issue 132 : May-June 2021 : Access to Healthcare
- Issue 131 : Mar-Apr 2021 : SOLUTIONS
- Issue 130 : Jan-Feb 2021 : CHANGE
- Issue 129 : Nov-Dec 2020 : UNBELIEVABLE
- Issue 128 : Sep-Oct 2020 : COPING
- Issue 127 : Jul-Aug 2020 : HOPE
- Issue 126 : Health & Wellbeing in a Crisis
- Issue 125 : Mar-Apr 2020 : MOVING ON
- Issue 124 : Jan-Feb 2020 : STREET FOOD
- Issue 123 : Nov-Dec 2019 : HOSTELS
- Issue 122 : Sep 2019 : DEATH ON THE STREETS
- Issue 121 : July-Aug 2019 : INVISIBLE YOUTH
- Issue 120 : May-June 2019 : RECOVERY
- Issue 119 : Mar-Apr 2019 : WELLBEING
- Issue 118 : Jan-Feb 2019 : WORKING HOMELESS
- Issue 117 : Nov-Dec 2018 : HER STORY
- Issue 116 : Sept-Oct 2018 : TOILET TALK
- Issue 115 : July-Aug 2018 : HIDDEN HOMELESS
- Issue 114 : May-Jun 2018 : REBUILD YOUR LIFE
- Issue 113 : Mar–Apr 2018 : REMEMBRANCE
- Issue 112 : Jan-Feb 2018
- Issue 111 : Nov-Dec 2017
- Issue 110 : Sept-Oct 2017
- Issue 109 : July-Aug 2017
- Issue 108 : Apr-May 2017
- Issue 107 : Feb-Mar 2017
- Issue 106 : Dec 2016 - Jan 2017
- Issue 105 : Oct-Nov 2016
- Issue 104 : Aug-Sept 2016
- Issue 103 : May-June 2016
- Issue 102 : Mar-Apr 2016
- Issue 101 : Jan-Feb 2016
- Issue 100 : Nov-Dec 2015
- Issue 99 : Sept-Oct 2015
- Issue 98 : July-Aug 2015
- Issue 97 : May-Jun 2015
- Issue 96 : April 2015 [Mini Issue]
- Issue 95 : March 2015
- Issue 94 : February 2015
- Issue 93 : December 2014
- Issue 92 : November 2014
- Issue 91 : October 2014
- Issue 90 : September 2014
- Issue 89 : July 2014
- Issue 88 : June 2014
- Issue 87 : May 2014
- Issue 86 : April 2014
- Issue 85 : March 2014
- Issue 84 : February 2014
- Issue 83 : December 2013
- Issue 82 : November 2013
- Issue 81 : October 2013
- Issue 80 : September 2013
- Issue 79 : June 2013
- Issue 78 : 78
- Issue 77 : 77
- Issue 76 : 76
- Issue 75 : 75
- Issue 74 : 74
- Issue 73 : 73
- Issue 72 : 72
- Issue 71 : 71
- Issue 70 : 70
- Issue 69 : 69
- Issue 68 : 68
- Issue 67 : 67
- Issue 66 : 66
- Issue 65 : 65
- Issue 64 : 64
- Issue 63 : 63
- Issue 62 : 62
- Issue 61 : 61
- Issue 60 : 60
- Issue 59 : 59
- Issue 58 : 58
- Issue 57 : 57
- Issue 56 : 56
- Issue 56 : 56
- Issue 55 : 55
- Issue 54 : 54
- Issue 53 : 53
- Issue 52 : 52
- Issue 51 : 51
- Issue 50 : 50
- Issue 49 : 49
- Issue 48 : 48
- Issue 47 : 47
- Issue 46 : 46
- Issue 45 : 45
- Issue 44 : 44
- Issue 43 : 43
- Issue 42 : 42
- Issue 5 : 05
- Issue 4 : 04
- Issue 2 : 02
- Issue 1 : 01
- Issue 41 : 41
- Issue 40 : 40
- Issue 39 : 39
- Issue 38 : 38
- Issue 37 : 37
- Issue 36 : 36
- Issue 35 : 35
- Issue 34 : 34
- Issue 33 : 33
- Issue 10 : 10
- Issue 9 : 09
- Issue 6 : 06
- Issue 3 : 03
- Issue 32 : 32
- Issue 31 : 31
- Issue 30 : 30
- Issue 29 : 29
- Issue 11 : 11
- Issue 12 : 12
- Issue 13 : 13
- Issue 14 : 14
- Issue 15 : 15
- Issue 16 : 16
- Issue 17 : 17
- Issue 18 : 18
- Issue 19 : 19
- Issue 20 : 20
- Issue 21 : 21
- Issue 22 : 22
- Issue 23 : 23
- Issue 24 : 24
- Issue 25 : 25
- Issue 8 : 08
- Issue 7 : 07
- Issue 26 : 26
- Issue 27 : 27
- Issue 28 : 28
- Issue 1 : 01