Homelessness youth and mental health service utilization: A long-term follow-up study.

Background: There is currently an incomplete picture of the long-term impact of homelessness on youth with mental health issues. There are also questions regarding homelessness as a predictor of mental health re-admissions.

Aims: To examine the mental health service presentation profile of young people affected by homelessness and mental health issues.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of the medical records of homeless (n = 29) and non-homeless (n = 32) youth who attended the YouthLink specialist mental health service in 2010. We tracked their pattern of mental health service admissions at five time points during a total period of 10 years, including 2 years prior to, and up to 8 years following the YouthLink presentation. A regression analysis was used to examine factors hypothesized to contribute to mental health re-admissions.

Results: Homeless youth had significantly more frequent presentations to inpatient and outpatient mental health services, and emergency departments for mental health reasons. They were 11 times more likely to be re-admitted to a mental health inpatient ward than non-homeless youth. Prior hospital admission was an independent predictor, increasing by a factor of 2.2 for every inpatient admission.

Conclusion: The impact of homelessness on mental health issues is enduring, and is a long-term predictor of hospital re-admission.