Housing the Homeless Mentally Ill: A Longitudinal Study of a Treatment Approach

In a one-year study of 49 homeless chronic mentally ill patients, the subjects, selected at admission for inpatient treatment, were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group was placed in an experimental residential treatment program following discharge, and the other group received standard postdischarge care. Subjects were interviewed every four months during the year as well as at index hospitalization and discharge. Although the study remains exploratory due to the small sample size and case attrition, the authors found that compared with the control group, the subjects in the residential treatment program spent significantly more nights in adequate shelter, spent fewer nights in hospitals or undomiciled, and were more satisfied with and committed to their living arrangements.