A Homelessness State Of Mind

Avoid eye contact. Keep walking. Look at your phone. Cross the street. Disengage…

A survey from charity Crisis found 61 per cent of people felt “angry, upset or frustrated” about homelessness and 59 per cent said they were more worried now than they were five years ago. But at the same time, although 57 per cent wanted to do something to help, 68 per cent admitted they didn’t know what to do when they saw someone who is homeless.

But do people feel helpless because their brain has evolved to disconnect from the problem?

This week we’re looking at the science of apathy and empathy, and why we need to talk about the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex.

PLUS

• Richard E. Grant tells The Big Issue his father became “a violent alcoholic” after his parents’ divorce in a Letter To My Younger Self
• A 94-year-old Holocaust survivor on why she’s sharing her harrowing tale so that the current generation can avoid history repeating itself
• And did online dating really help save the world’s loneliest frog? We find out in this week’s Fact/Fiction

If you can’t find a vendor near you, pick up your copy from The Big Issue Shop