Citation

Turner JT, Wan TT. Community Ment. Health J. 1993; 29(1): 3-14.

Affiliation

Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298-0203.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1993, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

8448977

Abstract

This study examined the impact of community characteristics on rehospitalization of chronically mentally ill (CMI) clients from public psychiatric hospitals in Virginia. The relationship between rehospitalization, often termed recidivism, and community attributes was explained within the theoretical context of community ecology (Hawley 1950). A small area analysis approach that employed path analysis was used to assess the relationship between rehospitalization and selected community variables including: available health care resources, socioeconomic factors, race, presence of psychopathology, and household composition. The path model was estimated and validated using a linear structural relations computer program (LISREL VI). Results reveal female-headed households and socioeconomic status to be significant predictors of rehospitalization. A discussion of implications of the findings for community mental health services delivery and research is provided.

Language: en