Project Summary

Samuel A. Ball, Ph.D. (Independent Investigator 2005) of Yale University School of Medicine, plans to carefully assess the prevalence of severe personality disorders and their relationship to other psychiatric diagnoses in the homeless. Dr. Ball aims to study 160 homeless persons receiving drop-in center and shelter services within two very different urban settings: the Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter in New York City and Columbus House in New Haven, CT. It is hoped this study will provide important information for the development of training programs for staff of these facilities as well as for informing outreach, engagement, retention, referral, and intervention strategies for this significantly impaired, underserved group of personality disordered clients in the homeless service system. Whether future services might be best provided through referral for comprehensive psychiatric treatment or by on-site interventions (e.g., targeted pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, or housing/vocationally-based contingency management) first requires a more refined analysis of these disorders than has been done to date.

Program Area: PERSONALITY DISORDERS\Schizotypal Personality Disorder

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