Predictors of Psychiatric Hospitalization for Adults with Co-Occurring Substance and Mental Disorders as Compared to Adults with Mental Illness Only

Predictors of psychiatric hospitalization, predisposing, enabling and need, of adults with co-occurring mental and substance disorders were compared to predictors for adults with a mental illness only. Research participants were 1,613 users of crisis intervention services. Findings using Cox regression show that dually-diag-nosed individuals were more likely to be hospitalized. Enabling and need factors were important predictors for both groups. Disruptive behavior was a predictor for dually-diagnosed clients but not for clients with mental illness only. Findings suggest that outpatient mental health services are less well equipped to address a psychiatric crisis when it was accompanied by substance use issues.