Housing Quote by Matthew Desmond
““When several patients committed suicide in the days leading up to their eviction, a group of psychiatrists published a letter in Psychiatric Services, identifying eviction as a “significant precursor of suicide.” The letter emphasized that none of the patients were facing homelessness, leading the psychiatrists to attribute the suicides to eviction itself. “Eviction must be considered a traumatic rejection,” they wrote, “a denial of one’s most basic human needs, and an exquisitely shameful experience.” Suicides attributed to evictions and foreclosures doubled between 2005 and 2010, years when housing costs soared.18””
About This Quote
Source Journal Article: Psychiatric Services, 2015
Eviction can cause severe psychological trauma leading to suicide, independent of homelessness.
In simple terms: Eviction can trigger suicide.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and address eviction as a mental health crisis.
Themes
housing
mental health
poverty
policy
suicide
Mood
sad
urgent
concerned
Type
analytical
policy‑oriented
When to use this quote
- social workers
- policy makers
- healthcare providers
- community organizers
Key Concepts
Trauma
social determinants of health
human rights
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies prevent eviction‑related trauma?
- What support systems reduce suicide risk after eviction?
A Different Perspective
Eviction is often linked with homelessness, complicating causal attribution.
