ABSTRACT
There was a pronounced rise in homelessness in both Britain and the United States throughout the 1970s and 1980s. In the US, this prompted extensive research into the health care needs and increased prevalence of alcohol, drug and mental health problems amongst an increasingly marginalised group; (Ropers and Boyers 1987; Wright and Weber 1987; Breakey et al. 1989). US federal government agencies like the National Institute for the Study of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism provided substantial funding during the 1980s for demonstration projects designed to improve services for homeless problem drinkers (Argeriou and McCarty 1990).
