Homeless Die 30 Years Younger – Study

Research published on Wednesday has revealed that homeless people die thirty years before the national average.

The study by Sheffield University commissioned by homeless charity, Crisis, found that men are dying at 47 years old and women at 43 years old, in contrast to the average age of death for the general population which is 77 years.

Other key findings were that drug and alcohol abuse accounted for just over a third of all deaths; homeless people are over nine times more likely to commit suicide than the general population and that deaths as a result of traffic accidents are three times as likely, infections twice as likely and falls over three times as likely

The study, called Homelessness: A silent killer said that despite improvements in the NHS and the health of the general population over the last 15 years, the average age of death for homeless people still remains "shockingly low".

Leslie Morphy, Chief Executive of Crisis, said: "It is shocking, but not surprising, that homeless people are dying much younger than the general population. Life on the streets is harsh and the stress of being homeless is clearly taking its toll.

"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.

Ms Morphy added that homeless people were amongst the most vulnerable in society and that it was clear that despite significant investment in the NHS they are not getting the help they need to address their health issues.

"Government must do more to improve the health of single homeless people and ensure they can access mainstream and specialist services."

(DW)