Psychopharmacologists and the Medical, Legal, and Societal Problems of the Homeless Mentally Ill

Abstract

Dr Glick has equity in Johnson & Johnson and has been on Advisory Boards for Neurocrine, Sunovion, and Alkermes. Dr Berlant is an employee of Optum and of a Mental Health Rehabilitation Center. Mr Eisenberg reports no potential conflict of interest. Funding/support: None.The ASCP Corner is a collection of brief peer-reviewed, evidence-based articles, authored by American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology members, that examine the practice of psychopharmacology through the lens of clinical experience. The information contained herein only represents the opinion of the author(s).

Untreated Mental Illness Has Created a National Tragedy

“…This housing must include a dimension of care from hospitals to residential treatment centers and independent living situations where counseling, medical care, and supervision are provided to the residents. Individuals who cannot live independently deserve care in a structured, humane setting, not the destitute conditions they face on the streets 29 . We are not arguing for a return to the institutionalization seen in the mid-20th century—in fact, we must be mindful not to recreate the oppressive and prison-like environment of many state-funded psychiatric hospitals of that era 30 .…”

“…Individuals who cannot live independently deserve care in a structured, humane setting, not the destitute conditions they face on the streets. 29 We are not arguing for a return to the institutionalization seen in the mid-20th century -in fact, we must be mindful not to recreate the oppressive and prison-like environment of many state-funded psychiatric hospitals of that era. 30 We can do better than that this time.…”