Prevalence of housing needs among inpatients: a 1 year audit of housing needs in the acute mental health unit in Tallaght Hospital.

Objective: There is a dearth of information relating to the prevalence of housing needs among psychiatric in-patients in Ireland. Most of the information we have to date emerged as a result of attempts to plan for the closure of old psychiatric hospitals and inappropriate community residences. This study sought to identify the prevalence of housing needs among in-patients in the acute psychiatric unit in Tallaght Hospital.

Methods: Each week, over a 12-month period, nursing managers and/or key nurses who knew the patients well were asked for numerical data. Information was collected on the numbers of in-patients with accommodation needs, number of delayed discharges due to accommodation needs and number of discharges to homeless accommodation in the previous week.

Results: On average, 38% of in-patients had accommodation related needs at any one time. Most (98%) of delayed discharges had accommodation related needs. Delayed discharge in-patients with accommodation needs accounted for 28% of all inpatients and for 72% of all inpatients with accommodation related needs.

Conclusions: Accommodation need among psychiatric in-patients is underreported. Housing need data should be routinely collected and effective interagency strategies developed to address housing needs.