Homeless young people frequently come from chaotic and fractured backgrounds. There is a compelling body of evidence indicating that many homeless young people suffer from severely degraded mental health. Mental health problems can be one of the factors that lead a young person to become homeless, or can develop because of their experiences of being homeless. Mental health problems are eight times higher for people living in hostels and bed and breakfast accommodation, and eleven times higher for those who sleep rough, compared to the general population (Wright, 2002).

Centrepoint is concerned that the mental health needs of young people as they journey from adolescence to adulthood are not clearly articulated in existing national policy. 

There are many practice gaps that young people can fall through as they transcend from childhood into adulthood, the most common being that at 16 years old young people no longer qualify for children’s mental health services, but until the age of 18 are not eligible for adult mental health services. These problems can be compounded if the young person is homeless.

Centrepoint welcomes the Government's Review of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and believes this is an ideal opportunity to reflect on what services are currently available to young people and where practice needs to be improved, especially for those experiencing homelessness.

 
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