Mental health symptoms among homeless shelter residents during COVID-19 lockdown in Tshwane, South Africa
African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine
| Field | Value | |
| Title | Mental health symptoms among homeless shelter residents during COVID-19 lockdown in Tshwane, South Africa | |
| Creator | Stonehouse, Joanelle Grobler, Gerhard Bhoora, Urvisha Janse van Rensburg, Michelle N.S. | |
| Description | Background: In order to contain the spread of COVID-19 in South Africa during the national state of emergency, the Gauteng Department of Social Development established temporary shelters and activated existing facilities to provide basic needs to street-homeless people in Tshwane, which facilitated primary health care service-delivery to this community.Aim: This study aimed to determine and analyse the prevalence of mental health symptoms and demographic characteristics among street-homeless people living in Tshwane’s shelters during lockdown.Setting: Homeless shelters set up in Tshwane during level 5 of the COVID-19 lockdown in South Africa.Methods: A cross-sectional, analytical study was conducted using a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)-based questionnaire that looked at 13 mental health symptom domains.Results: Presence of moderate-to-severe symptoms were reported among the 295 participants as follows: substance use 202 (68%), anxiety 156 (53%), personality functioning 132 (44%), depression 85 (29%), sleep problems 77 (26%), somatic symptoms 69 (23%), anger 62 (21%), repetitive thoughts and behaviours 60 (20%), dissociation 55 (19%), mania 54 (18%), suicidal ideation 36 (12%), memory 33 (11%) and psychosis 23 (8%).Conclusion: A high burden of mental health symptoms was identified. Community-oriented and person-centred health services with clear care-coordination pathways are required to understand and overcome the barriers street-homeless people face in accessing health and social services.Contribution: This study determined the prevalence of mental health symptoms within the street-based population in Tshwane, which has not previously been studied. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 2023-04-03 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/phcfm.v15i1.3730 | |
| Source | African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine; Vol 15, No 1 (2023); 8 pages 2071-2936 2071-2928 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3730/6150
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3730/6151
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3730/6152
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3730/6153
|
|
ADVERTISEMENT
