Psychiatric disorders can lead to many types of problems. These problems can range from housing instability to illness and even death. Having a disorder and lack of stable living conditions more often than not further complicates overall health and care, which is a bit confusing for a homeless adult. Without proper health care, the mind will become even more unstable. This does not automatically follow logic. People with serious mental illness most often feel homeless due to their inability to complete daily tasks and earn money. Mental illness is serious and can have a domino effect on a person's life and those around them. The close relationship that homelessness and mental illness share is worrying. Schizophrenia is one of several mental disorders that can lead to homelessness. Stating that an individual suffers from a mental illness can be interpreted in many ways, but it is generally defined and understood as a psychological illness or disorder. The severity of the illness determines the extent to which an individual's daily functioning will be affected. The ability to care for oneself, one's home or hearth, and the ability to maintain an intimate relationship are lost. Homeless people with mental illness remain homeless for longer periods of time and begin to have less contact with family and friends. Mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia or severe depression, can place strain on family and other social relationships (Hawkins and Abrams 2007). Studies have examined what quality of life is like after discovering that a person has a mental illness, or becomes homeless, and other studies focus primarily on treatment options. Suffering from a mental illness makes the situation more difficult...... middle of paper ...... Schizophrenia or depression. Psychiatric Services, 53: 1456-1460. Retrieved from http://psychservices.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/53/11/1456.HCH Clinician's Network. (2000). Hands that heal. Retrieved from http://www.nhchc.org/Network/HealingHands/2000/October2000HealingHands.pdfNational Coalition for the Homeless. (2006). NCH ​​Mental Illness and Homelessness. Retrieved from NCH: http://www.nationalhomeless.org/publications/facts/Mental_Illness.pdfThe Internet Mental Health Initiative. (1996-2010). Schizophrenia.com. Retrieved from Schizophrenia.com. Merck Manuals. (2008). Merck Manuals. Retrieved from Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/ag/sec07/ch107/ch107b.htmlU.S. Department of Health and Social Services. (2003). HHs.gov. Retrieved from HHs.gov/archive: http://archive.hhs.gov/news/press/2003.html