Predictors of health services utilization among persons with psychiatric disabilities engaged in supported independent housing

OBJECTIVE Persons with psychiatric disabilities are at greater risk for medical comorbidity, and prior research suggests these persons may underutilize health services. In response, this study examined the impact of engagement in psychiatric rehabilitation services, including case management, on utilization of general health services among persons with psychiatric disabilities engaged in supported housing, while controlling for demographic and clinical characteristics. METHODS Poisson regression analyses were used to examine the impact of socio-demographic, clinical, and service characteristics on reported utilization of general health services in the past year. RESULTS Findings indicated supported housing residents receiving case management coupled with weekly contact with residential support services visited a general health practitioner more frequently than those with less support services. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Study results suggest psychiatric rehabilitation services provided to persons in the context of safe and affordable housing may represent an important mechanism for enabling persons with psychiatric disorders to access needed medical care.