Psychological Distress and Social Support among Homeless Adults

Many studies find that psychological distress, in the form of anxiety, stress and depression, is common amongst homeless populations.Aim of the Study: The study aimed to examine the psychological distress and social support among homeless adults.Design: The study design was descriptive-explorative study design was used.Setting: The study was carried out in the homeless adults in Assiut City; the shelter provides social care for men and children, and the study sample comprised 100 persons. The age of them ranged from 18-64 years old, within a period of six months from December 2014 to May 2015.Tools of the Study: Three tools were used for data collection: Namely: Sociodemographic data structured interview schedule, depression anxiety stress scale and norbeck social support questionnaire.Results: The main results yielded by the study proved that half of them aged from 31 to 45 years old, had never married, not worked, the majority of sample had severe anxiety and stress and the highest percentage of the studied sample had bad social support.Recommendation: The study recommended to positive social support may help homeless people get out of homelessness and avoid health and mental health problems.