Chronic mental illness and homelessness in black populations: prologue and prospects.

Psychiatry has shown little regard for the special health concerns of African Americans, who are disproportionately represented among America's homeless. Although psychiatric literature is replete with data on homeless mentally disordered citizens, only incidental references are made to African Americans to satisfy federally funded research guidelines mandating the inclusion of racial minorities. Additionally, psychiatry has hesitated to suggest corrective actions for this national scourge and has begun to raise questions about the efficacy of case management and demonstration projects.