Use of psychiatric services by homeless veterans

Patients treated in a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) emergency room were evaluated to delineate the differences in use of services between homeless and domiciled veterans who have mental disorders. Data were obtained and compared on DSM-III-R diagnoses, number of hospitalizations, lengths of stay, and outpatient visits in the preceding year. Homeless veterans with mental disorders were significantly more likely to have emergency visits and psychiatric admissions in the preceding 12 months than were the domiciled veterans. However, the average length of stay was shorter for the homeless group. These differences must be accounted for in the design of programs targeting homeless veterans with mental illness.