SynthesisInternational journal of epidemiology2026
Mortality in people experiencing homelessness: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in International journal of epidemiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Experiences of Healthcare Professionals in a Street Clinic in a Municipality in Southern Brazil.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe association between homelessness and the type of homeless experience with all-cause and cause-specific mortality is uncertain.
methodsPublished studies were retrieved through a systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase PsycINFO, and Scopus from inception to December 2024. Unpublished data were identified from open-access data archives. We used random-effects meta-analysis to combine the effect estimates from published and unpublished data from 116 studies comprising 2 563 633 homeless people and 129 292 553 population controls. This review is registered at PROSPERO (CRD42023430984).
resultsThe risk of all-cause mortality was increased in people exposed to homelessness compared with those unexposed [relative risk (RR) 2.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.91-2.57, P < .001, I2 = 99.7], with risks similar in men (RR 4.04, 95% CI 2.87-5.21) and women (RR 3.58, 95% CI 2.35-4.82). Risks were higher in people who had slept rough (RR 7.63, 95% CI 3.29-11.97) than in those who had slept in homeless hostels/shelters (RR 3.44, 95% CI 2.10-4.77) and also elevated for people staying in low-cost hotels (RR 5.18, 95% CI 1.14-9.23). Summary RR estimates were elevated for 33 of the 36 (92%) causes of death. The highest risk of death was apparent for psychoactive-substance-use disorder (RR 21.38, 95% CI 14.44-31.67), accidental injuries (RR 13.15, 95% CI 5.46-31.69), and drug overdose (RR 11.65, 95% CI 6.97-19.48). Around half of the studies (57%) were of high quality. No studies were found in low-income countries. There was no evidence of publication bias.
conclusionCompared with the general population, homeless people experience an increased risk of premature mortality. The most extreme inequalities were from deaths through psychoactive-substance-use disorder, accidents, and drug overdose. There are evidence-based treatments for psychoactive substance use and drug overdose, suggesting that some of these deaths are avoidable.
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