SPS 201- Alcohol and other Drugs: Homelessness Issues Assignment Sample

Introduction: AOD Treatment Access and Public Perceptions in Australia

Alcohol and other drugs (AOD) are termed as the usage of any form of drugs or alcohol that affects the person’s behaviour and mental health. The AOD issues are recognised as a major concern that has a direct effect on the public’s health, especially on the people who are experiencing homelessness. This essay includes detailed information about the people who have accessed treatment to cure AOD issues. The complex issues within AOD, such as mental health, dual diagnosis and medical problems, will be discussed. The perceptions of the public on AOD will be analysed in this essay.

Main Body

Access to treatment

Homelessness is a major social issue in Australia as there is are wide number of people who are considered homeless. Sydney, Perth, Brisbane and Melbourne are the major cities that ahavehaving most of the homeless people compared to other cities across the country. People who have suffered from homelessness have faced a variety of issues, such as AOD issues, poor mental and physical health. Homeless people with AOD issues face the barriers related to limited access to treatment. Rizzo et a (2022) mentioned that the provision of services related to the mental health of homeless people faces complexities in access to treatment due to a lack of proper healthcare facilities and appropriate resources. Poverty issues and a lack of proper insight into the psychiatric concept are the primary barriers to providing access to treatment to homeless people. As a result, these people suffered from limited access to treatment as they were not aware of their healthcare rights and services.

Multiple clinics, emergency rooms, hospitals and dispensaries aim at providing the needed healthcare services to the people. As per the survey reports, there were an estimated 122,494 people in Australia who were experiencing the situation of homelessness in the year 2021 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2023). The limited access to healthcare treatment has resulted in a reduction in the quality of healthcare for homeless people. However, McWilliams et al (2022) analysed that the Australian Government took several initiatives to provide high access to treatment to the homeless people with the adoption of a range of treatment options. These include hospitals, community treatment facilities, nurses and doctors, specialists in child health and mental health, aimed to provide effective healthcare access to the homeless people, with an aim of improving their mental and physical health.

In addition, as per the view of Sutherland et al (2022), there are various communities, such as Mission Australia, that are aiming at providing the facility of housing and free access to healthcare services to homeless people. These charitable communities further provide the facility of behavioural therapy and rehabilitation centres to overcome the AOD issues within the homeless people to improve their standards of living (Services Australia, 2024). Moreover, for the mitigation of stigma related to limited treatment access to homeless people, the Australian Government aims to formulate a new strategy to reduce the situation of homelessness, supported by the action plans. The effective formulation of strategies includes crisis care, free healthcare and treatment services, housing and employment assistance, legal services and financial assistance (Sydney Homeless Connect, 2020). These strategies will focus on the prevention of the situation of homelessness by supporting people to become productive and on the mitigation of AOD issues.

Complex problems

There is a high rate of homelessness and housing instability among the seekers of AOD treatments. According to Flatau et al (2020), multiple people in Sydney experience the situation of homelessness that leads to the arising complex issues such as Dual diagnosis, multiple medical problems and issues related to AOD and Mental health. In addition, these people face another issue related to the limited access to healthcare services and lack of family support, which hurts their mental health and behaviour (Wood et al, 2022). These issues need to be addressed to improve their mental and physical health of the homeless people.

Rizzo et al (2022) mentioned that concurrent substance and mental disorders, often termed as Dual Diagnosis, are the key complex issue, are majorly prevalent among people experiencing homelessness which resulting in poor outcomes of physical and mental health. These people also tend to find difficulty in getting adequate facilities of treatment and complexities in getting assistance and family support for fulfilling the basic needs. In addition, these homeless people suffer from severe mental issues due to a lack of family support, which leads to inappropriate behaviour and other problems of mental health (McWilliams et al, 2022). Poor mental health is one of the most concerning issues among homeless people as it leads to increases the chances of consumption of drugs and alcohol.

Sutherland et al (2022) identified that homeless people with substantial issues of dual diagnosis and mental illness eencounterthe anxiety and stress, resulting in increased risk of victimisation, drug and alcohol consumption and violence. Multiple factors affect the mental health of the homeless individuals, such as inconsistent enforcement of policies and rules of shelter staff, inability to fulfil basic needs (food, clothes and shelter), humiliation, and mental distress due to lack of support and humiliation. These factors hurt people’s mental health, arising as a complex problem among homeless people. The recent survey report by the National study of wellbeing and mental health revealed that are estimated 39% homeless people experience issues related to mental health within the last 12 months (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2024).

Homeless people are considered the most economically and socially disadvantaged, leading to multiple risks associated with adverse health conditions. As per the view of Flatau et al (2020), these results in negative economic and social outcomes mainly arise from the issues of malnutrition. Unemployment and homelessness lead to chronic issues, leading to ill health oin the individuals. Moreover, homeless people have a high tendency of acute disease and death due to limited treatment access compared to the general population. These people suffer from adverse health or medical conditions, which include asthma, depression, back problems and other severe health issues (Wood et al, 2022). Overcrowding is another issue that adversely impacts the health conditions. This leads to the rapid transmission of viral infectious diseases due to living in severely overcrowded areas.

Rizzo et al (2022) evaluated that people experiencing the situation of homelessness have complexities in managing their mental and physical health conditions. This results in the development of chronic health problems. This, in result, reduces the ability of individuals to sustain employment, well-being, Personal networks and housing. Adverse medical conditions also hurt the individual’s ability towards sustain adequate and stable facility of housing and other basic needs. The government funded multiple services for homeless people across Australia to provide mental and emotional support to the people who experience homelessness (McWilliams et al, 2022). It allotted the free housing facilities and care homes to the needy persons to mitigate the complex issues related to dual diagnosis, medical issues and adverse mental health of the homeless individuals.

Public Perceptions towards the use of alcohol and other drugs (AOD)

For people who are engaging in the consumption of AOD, stigma is a major concern that influences the perception of the general public and the stereotypes. The discriminatory behaviour and prejudicial attitudes are primarily termed as the stigma. The experiences and perceptions of the public towards individuals who engage in the use of AOD are negative. Sutherland et al (2022) analysed that the stigma of people's perceptions is termed as a complex process which deals with the identification of groups or individuals based on social, cultural, and legal norms, living experiences and stereotypes. The outcome of the public’s perception towards the use of AOD leads to emotional distress, loneliness, avoidance of amenities and basic services and isolation. Individuals who are engaged in the consumption of drugs are primarily stereotyped as dishonest, immoral, deviant and irresponsible (Flatau et al, 2020). In addition, individuals who consumption of Alcohol are socially unacceptable and considered immoral as per the perception of the public.

Subsequently, people with AOD habits are considered unethical and are undeserving of support, trust or empathy, due to which they suffer from mental disorders and illness. Wood et al (2022) contended that the application of negative stereotypes by way of the perception of the general public leads to a reduction in confidence and self-worth. Apart from that, individuals with AOD habits suffer from a stigmatised condition of bias and prejudice, resulting in the poor quality of healthcare, limited access to treatment, and face obstruction in social acceptance. It was reported that in 2024, it is estimated that 43% of the people experiencing homelessness are engaged with the consumption of Alcohol and Drugs (AOD) (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2024).

Consumption of AOD leads the homeless people to experience harm as a result of adverse mental and physical health conditions, distress and trauma and due to socio-economic and financial inequalities. In addition, Rizzo et.al (2022) evaluated that homeless people face complexities towards accessing support for AOD, among which the stigma of public perception acts as a common barrier. Furthermore, a homeless group of individuals suffers with additional challenges related to accessing support, seeking emotional help and limited awareness about treatment facilities and healthcare. People who consume AOD are more likely to face bias and discrimination due to the negative perception of the public towards them (McWilliams et al, 2022). Stigma related to AOD intersects with the ethical and legal aspects, leading to enhanced discrimination and unfair treatment in every field. It hurts the well-being, social outcomes and mental health.

People with AOD are facing strong disapproval from society due to the complex phenomenon of Stigma. However, with the reduction of the overall outcomes of stigma based on AOD among homeless people, there is a significant improvement in the mental and physical health of the homeless individuals with the minimisation of stigma’s negative impact. As per the view of Sutherland et.al (2022), the Guiding theory provides assistance to sustainably tackle the stigma related to AOD and illicit use of drugs to reduce the negative impact on the behavioural and physical health of the people. Furthermore, to improve the positive intervention on the homeless public health, help-seeking rates need to be improved to minimise the unfair treatment and discrimination based on the perceptions of the public towards the AOD homeless people (Flatau et al, 2020).

Conclusion

From the above essay, it was concluded that homelessness is a serious social concern within Australia, especially in Sydney. It has an adverse impact on the person’s mental and physical health. Homelessness results in the arising of multiple issues within individuals, including AOD issues, and affects their behaviour and skills negatively. These people face the complexities in relation to limited treatment access and a lack of family support. In addition, it was concluded that the homeless people who engage in the use of drugs and alcohol faced the negative perceptions of the public, resulting in mental and behavioural disorders.

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