Head Injury
Have you ever had trouble maintaining your housing, or been kicked out of your apartment, shelter program or other place you were staying, because of: a head injury?
Research
“People experiencing homelessness are more likely to have a head injury than the rest of
the population. Most head injuries in this population are caused by assault or
victimization. This may be associated with a number of factors such as psychiatric
diagnosis, housing stability, relationships with family and others, substance use, or
personal safety. Head injuries in people experiencing homelessness may also be
associated with impaired cognition and health service use. The theory of intersectionality
suggests that intersections of a person’s identity may overlap to cause further
disadvantage to an individual. The core identities associated with intersectionality include
sex, race, class, and disability which together marginalize and oppress certain
populations” (Angus, The University of Western Ontario 2022).
“Head injury places individuals at high risk for experiencing homelessness due to the increased complexity of housing that some individuals require post-head injury. The resources and funding are often not available; therefore, some of these individuals are unable to find suitable housing. Head injury is not usually an isolated incident in people experiencing homelessness, as initial head injury puts an individual at higher risk for subsequent head injury. Additionally, adverse outcomes such as cognitive
impairments, mental illness exacerbations, increased alcohol and other drug use, and
increased health and justice system use are associated with head injury in people
experiencing homelessness” (Angus, The University of Western Ontario 2022).
For more information and further reading of this electronic thesis and dissertation repository please visit: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=11159&context=etd
Data Source
All data was collected from the 2022 VI-SPDAT.
Please note that all data is self-reported which could result in underreporting.
What is the VI-SPDAT
The VI-SPDAT (Vulnerability Index – Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool) is a survey administered to individuals to determine risk and prioritization when providing assistance to homeless and at-risk of homelessness persons. Data presented here is drawn from VI-SPDAT adult version 2 (Canadian) surveys completed with 155 individuals experiencing homelessness and seeking housing placement assistance from homelessness serving agencies in Brandon in 2022. These surveys were conducted as part of Brandon’s homelessness Coordinated Access system.
Reference
Angus, Emily M., “Exploring Health Inequities: Head Injuries in People Experiencing Homelessness”
(2022). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 8526.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/8526
Head Injury in the Sustainable Development Goals
Click on the SDG to reveal more information
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
Extreme poverty rates have been cut by more than half since 1990. While this is a remarkable achievement, one in five people in developing regions still live on less than $1.90 a day, and there are millions more who make little more than this daily amount, plus many people risk slipping back into poverty.
Poverty is more than the lack of income and resources to ensure a sustainable livelihood. Its manifestations include hunger and malnutrition, limited access to education and other basic services, social discrimination and exclusion as well as the lack of participation in decision-making. Economic growth must be inclusive to provide sustainable jobs and promote equality.