What happens to homeless mentally ill people? Follow up of residents of Oxford hostels for the homeless.

OBJECTIVES

To follow up severely mentally ill residents of hostels for the homeless to determine their social and psychiatric outcome.

DESIGN

Follow up at 18 months of hostel residents previously assessed with psychiatric and behavioural measures.

SETTING

Two Oxford hostels for the homeless.

SUBJECTS

48 hostel residents previously identified as disabled by mental illness.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Current housing, admissions to psychiatric hospital, violent or antisocial behaviour, and score on standardised behavioural rating.

RESULTS

45 of the 48 residents were traced. 27 had remained in the hostels; only 10 had been rehoused, mainly in bedsits or with their families. 16 had a poor outcome as judged by death (four subjects), lengthy hospital readmission (two), marked deterioration in behaviour (six), sleeping rough (one), or disappearance (three).

CONCLUSION

More effort is needed to provide suitable housing for homeless mentally ill people.