Homelessness Linked to Reduced Life Expectancy

A new study carried out in England has found that being homeless reduces the life expectancy of an individual by more than 30 years.

The Sheffield University study, titled "Homelessness: A silent killer", was carried out on behalf of homelessness charity Crisis. Researchers found that the average life expectancy of a homeless man was 47 years and that of a homeless woman was 43 years, more than 30 years lower than the overall average life expectancy of 77 years.

More than a third of deaths among the homeless can be attributed to drug or alcohol abuses the report said. The homeless were nine times more likely to commit suicide and three times more likely to suffer a fatal traffic accident compared to the rest of the population.

Commenting on the study, the chief executive of Crisis, Leslie Morphy said, "This report paints a bleak picture of the consequences homelessness has on people's health and wellbeing. Ultimately, it shows that homelessness is killing people."


Source: Medindia