Caring for homeless persons with serious mental illness in general hospitals.

BACKGROUND

The care of homeless persons with serious mental illness remains a common and challenging problem in general hospital settings.

OBJECTIVE

This article aims to review data on homelessness and its psychiatric comorbidities, and to expand the skills of providers who encounter homeless individuals in general hospital settings.

RESULTS

Literature review reveals patient, provider, and systems factors that contribute to suboptimal health outcomes in homeless individuals.

CONCLUSIONS

Diagnostic rigor, integrated medical and psychiatric care, trauma-informed interventions, special considerations in capacity evaluations, and health care reform initiatives can improve the treatment of homeless persons with serious mental illness.