Homeless people three times more likely to commit suicide
Homeless people die 30 years earlier than the national average aged just 47-years-old, a report by Crisis has found.
The homelessness charity found that homeless people are more likely to die young, with an average age of death of 47 years old and even lower for homeless women aged 43, compared to 77 for the general population, or 74 for men and 80 for women.
At the ages of 16-24, homeless people are at least twice as likely to die as the same age group living in accommodation. For 25-34 year olds the ratio increases to four to five times, and at ages 35-44, to five to six times.
The report cites drug and alcohol abuse as particularly common causes of death amongst the homeless population, accounting for just over a third of all deaths.
Homeless people are three and a half times more likely to commit suicide than the general population, the report adds.
Crisis says that for too long homeless people have been failed by the health system and are frequently unable to register with a GP or access the specialist services they need.
The charity is demanding NHS reforms that take homeless people's health needs seriously and are calling on the public to write to their MPs to urge healthcare to be improved for homeless people.
You can write to your MP and find out more about the campaign here and read the research here.
