Will a new generation of drugs cure homelessness?

Although the current financial crisis in the United States will certainly increase homelessness through job loss, home foreclosure, the deterioration of savings, pension funds and personal reserves, untreated mental illness has always had a profound effect on our homeless population.

The people who love or treat patients who live with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or other mental illnesses have long agonized over the great number of these people who refuse treatment and often end up homeless.  As many of the medicines in use today offer little beyond the treatments used in the 1950's, the ones used to treat schizophrenia particularly seem to cause debilitating side effects. 

The side effects can include nausea, extreme gastrointestinal disturbances, quick weight gain, dry mouth, nightmares, tardive dyskinesia, tongue chewing, uncontrollable restlessness... need I go on?  Yes, many of us have taken chemotherapy and other remedies for serious illnesses, but to undergo these kinds of symptoms caused by one's medication?  That is a ... forgive the pun... hard pill to swallow.

Now there is some exciting research based on the effects caused by Angel Dust - a compound which induces schizophrenic-like symptoms in people - that has inspired researchers to find compounds that cause the mirrored reactions.  Although drugs like Haldol turned out to have irreversible side effects, let's hope this new class of experimental drugs will offer hope. 

In the meantime, however, let's get medical help to the people who suffer from mental illness and treat their health issues with the same effort and resources we invest in patients with physical illnesses.  Below are two links to articles that go into more depth on the subject.

www.nytimes.com/2008/02/24/business/24drug.html


http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/09/four-experiment.html