Rates of Cognitive and Functional Impairments Among Sheltered Adults Experiencing Homelessness
- PMID: 33397143
- PMCID: PMC7952028
- DOI: 10.1176/appi.ps.202000065
Rates of Cognitive and Functional Impairments Among Sheltered Adults Experiencing Homelessness
Abstract
Objective: This study examined rates of objective cognitive and functional impairments and associations between cognitive performance and performance-based functional capacity in a well-characterized sample of adults experiencing homelessness.
Methods: One hundred participants completed a brief neuropsychological and functional capacity assessment and self-report questionnaires. Cognitive impairment rates were determined by comparing mean scores with published normative data, as well as by examining frequency of scores >1 SD below the mean. Pearson correlations were used to examine associations between cognitive and functional capacities.
Results: Overall, 65% of the study participants had scores in the cognitively impaired range on a brief cognitive screening test, 30% had impaired processing speed, and 11% met cognitive criteria for intellectual disability. Furthermore, 48% of the sample met functional impairment criteria, and poorer cognitive performance was strongly associated with poorer performance-based functional capacity (p<0.001).
Conclusions: Cognitive and functional impairments are common among sheltered adults experiencing homelessness, underscoring the need for routine objective cognitive screening and rehabilitation services.
Keywords: Cognition; Functional capacity; Homelessness; Intellectual functioning; Processing speed.
Conflict of interest statement
Declarations of interest: None
Similar articles
-
[One homeless person out of ten suffers from cognitive disorders: What do we know about these impairments? A systematic review of homeless people's cognition].Encephale. 2019 Nov;45(5):424-432. doi: 10.1016/j.encep.2019.05.009. Epub 2019 Aug 14. Encephale. 2019. PMID: 31421812 French.
-
Older people experiencing homelessness show marked impairment on tests of frontal lobe function.Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2016 Mar;31(3):240-6. doi: 10.1002/gps.4316. Epub 2015 May 31. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2016. PMID: 26032583
-
Factors associated with cognitive impairment in a cohort of older homeless adults: Results from the HOPE HOME study.Drug Alcohol Depend. 2017 Sep 1;178:562-570. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.06.002. Epub 2017 Jul 4. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2017. PMID: 28738314 Free PMC article.
-
A systematic review of cognition in homeless children and adolescents.J R Soc Med. 2007 Jan;100(1):46-50. doi: 10.1177/014107680710000116. J R Soc Med. 2007. PMID: 17197688 Free PMC article. Review.
-
A systematic review of cognitive deficits in homeless adults: implications for service delivery.Can J Psychiatry. 2009 Feb;54(2):123-33. doi: 10.1177/070674370905400210. Can J Psychiatry. 2009. PMID: 19254443 Review.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Grant support
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Medical
Miscellaneous