RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: This study examined predictors of medical emergency department use among veterans with serious mental illness. METHODS: Participants were 118 psychiatrically hospitalized veterans with a serious mental illness who were identified as at risk for treatment dropout. Participants completed an interview and had their charts reviewed as part of a larger study. RESULTS: Nearly half of participants had at least one medical emergency visit, and 20% had two or more visits in the six months after hospital discharge. Outpatient service utilization of both general medical treatment and mental health-substance abuse treatment, as well as psychiatric symptoms, anxiety, and lower levels of satisfaction with current living situation, were associated with increased medical emergency department use. CONCLUSIONS: Medical emergency department use was relatively common in this population of veterans with serious mental illness. Mental health and general medical health needs should be addressed in an integrated fashion to reduce the use of the emergency department.
Assuntos
Serviço Hospitalar de Emergência/estatística & dados numéricos , Transtornos Mentais , Índice de Gravidade de Doença , Adulto , Feminino , Humanos , Entrevistas como Assunto , Masculino , Auditoria Médica , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Veteranos/psicologiaRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The present study examines knowledge of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) among individuals with serious mental illness. METHODS: Two hundred and thirty-six people answered questions regarding their knowledge of HIV and HCV. RESULTS: The total correct score for the set of HIV items (79%) was significantly higher than the total correct score for the set of HCV items (70%). Although the majority of demographic variables were not significantly associated with knowledge, individuals who had been previously screened for HIV answered significantly more HIV and HCV questions accurately. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that there is a specific gap in knowledge about HCV among individuals with serious mental illness, suggesting the need for intervention development to increase disease-related knowledge.
