Health · Medical Research · 6 hrs ago
Brain injuries may contribute to chronic homelessness, Canadian doctor says
A Canadian addiction medicine specialist says brain injuries and other cognitive problems may help explain why some people remain homeless.
His commentary draws on earlier studies, not a new study.
Those studies found high rates of thinking difficulties and problems with everyday tasks among people without stable housing, though they involved different groups and tests.
A 2020 review estimated that 53.1 percent of people experiencing homelessness had suffered a brain injury, and 22.5 percent had a moderate or severe injury.
The specialist says problems linked to birth conditions, childhood hardship, head injuries, drug use and mental illness can build up over time.
People with serious cognitive difficulties may struggle to manage medication, appointments, money and personal safety on their own.
He argues that housing needs to be paired with intensive support, but he has not yet tested his proposed care model.
A Canadian doctor says unrecognized brain injuries and cognitive impairment may help drive chronic homelessness.
Sumantra Monty Ghosh argues that many people experiencing homelessness cannot manage independent living but are routinely sent back to the street.
His commentary draws on earlier research and does not report a new study.
Ghosh says housing is necessary but should be paired with intensive support.
Studies cited in the commentary found substantial rates of cognitive impairment and brain injury among people experiencing homelessness.
- Who
- Sumantra Monty Ghosh, an addiction medicine specialist and associate professor at the University of Alberta.
- What
- Ghosh says brain injuries and cognitive impairment may contribute to chronic homelessness and argues for housing with intensive support.
- When
- The commentary was published on October 11, 2026.
- Where
- Canada.
- Why
- Ghosh says many people experiencing homelessness have cognitive difficulties severe enough to limit independent living, but their care needs are often not recognized.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Chronic homelessness in Canada is a human tragedy and a public policy failure
An important reason for the latter is insufficient recognition that many people who are homeless have cognitive dysfunction severe enough to limit their ability to live independently
Research on homeless men suggested that 80 percent had difficulties with reading, memory, verbal learning, attention, and concentration.
A review estimated that 53.1 percent of people experiencing homelessness had sustained a brain injury, with 22.5 percent having had a moderate-to-severe injury.
Earth.com published Ghosh’s commentary on brain injuries and chronic homelessness.
- IQ below 85
- A quarter of people tested in one review
- Low score on thinking test
- About 16 percent in the same review
- Everyday-task difficulties
- 48 percent in another study
- Brain injury, any severity
- 53.1 percent in a 2020 review
- Moderate-to-severe brain injury
- 22.5 percent in the 2020 review
Sources
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