Rates of Cognitive and Functional Impairments Among Sheltered Adults Experiencing Homelessness
Zanjbeel Mahmood, Lea Vella, Jacqueline Maye, Amber V. Keller, Ryan Van Patten, Jillian M.R. Clark, Elizabeth W. Twamley
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This study examined rates of objective cognitive and functional impairments and associations between cognitive performance and performance-based functional capacity in a well-characterized sample of adults experiencing homelessness. METHODS: One hundred participants completed a brief neuropsychological and functional capacity assessment and self-report questionnaires. Cognitive impairment rates were determined by comparing mean scores with published normative data, as well as by examining frequency of scores >1 SD below the mean. Pearson correlations were used to examine associations between cognitive and functional capacities. RESULTS: Overall, 65% of the study participants had scores in the cognitively impaired range on a brief cognitive screening test, 30% had impaired processing speed, and 11% met cognitive criteria for intellectual disability. Furthermore, 48% of the sample met functional impairment criteria, and poorer cognitive performance was strongly associated with poorer performance-based functional capacity (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive and functional impairments are common among sheltered adults experiencing homelessness, underscoring the need for routine objective cognitive screening and rehabilitation services.