Objectives: To measure the incidence of homelessness among youths discharged from an inpatient facility as well as to identify factors that place these youths at risk for homelessness.
Method: Reports of homelessness during 5 years of follow-up interviews with 83 adolescents consecutively discharged from an inpatient facility were used in conjunction with chart reviews.
Results: One third of youths experienced at least one homeless episode after discharge. Youths who had a history of substance use, physical abuse, running away, or being in state custody were more likely to become homeless than those without such factors. Having a thought disorder, however, was inversely related to becoming homeless after hospital discharge.
Conclusions: Youths discharged from a residential treatment facility are at high risk for becoming homeless. Interventions to prevent homelessness among adolescent inpatients should be targeted to those with a history of substance abuse, physical abuse, running away, and being in state custody.