AHRQ Stats: Schizophrenia’s Role in Hospital Admissions

Schizophrenia was the principal diagnosis in more than half of African Americans who were homeless and admitted to hospitals through emergency departments for mental or substance use disorders in 2014. (Source: AHRQ, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #229: Characteristics of Homeless Individuals Using Emergency Department Services in 2014.)

Characteristics of Homeless Individuals Using Emergency Department Services in 2014

Ruirui Sun, Ph.D., Zeynal Karaca, Ph.D., and Herbert S. Wong, Ph.D.

Highlights

More than three-fourths of all ED visits by homeless individuals were to teaching hospitals.

In teaching hospitals, Medicaid was the most common payer for ED visits by homeless individuals (47.1 percent of treat-and-release ED visits and 72.1 percent of ED visits resulting in hospital admission).

In nonteaching hospitals, more than 40 percent of ED visits by homeless individuals were uninsured.

Among treat-and-release ED visits, alcohol-related disorders, screening and history of mental disorders and substance abuse, and mood disorders were the three most common conditions by homeless individuals with a mental or substance use disorder.

Among ED visits resulting in hospital admission, schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, mood disorders, and alcohol-related disorders were the three most common conditions by homeless individuals with a mental or substance use disorder.

More than half of ED visits resulting in hospital admission for Black homeless individuals with a mental or substance use disorder were attributable to schizophrenia.

More than one-third of ED visits resulting in admission to nonteaching hospitals for White and Hispanic homeless individuals with a mental or substance use disorder were attributable to mood disorders.