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Preventing recurrent homelessness among mentally ill men: a "critical time" intervention after discharge from a
E Susser1, E Valencia, S Conover
1Columbia University Schools of Medicine and Public Health, New York State Psychiatric Institute, NY 10032, USA.
Objectives:
This study examined a strategy to prevent homelessness among individuals with severe mental illness by providing a bridge between institutional and community care.
Methods:
Ninety-six men with severe mental illness who were entering community housing from a shelter institution were randomized to receive 9 months of a "critical time" intervention plus usual services or usual services only. The primary analysis compared the mean number of homeless nights for the two groups during the 18-month follow-up period. To elucidate time trends, survival curves were used.
Results:
Over the 18-month follow-up period, the average number of homeless nights was 30 for the critical time intervention group and 91 for the usual services group. Survival curves showed that after the 9-month period of active intervention, the difference between the two groups did not diminish.
Conclusions:
Strategies that focus on a critical time of transition may contribute to the prevention of recurrent homelessness among individuals with mental illness, even after the period of active intervention.