Predictors of receiving aftercare 1, 3, and 18 months after a psychiatric emergency room visit

This study used logistic regression to predict the receipt of aftercare within one, three, and eighteen months of an emergency room visit for individuals with a severe mental illness. Two psychiatric history variables (had previous psychiatric admissions and was currently receiving outpatient treatment) and one system responsiveness variable (was not admitted at the index emergency room visit) predicted receiving aftercare at all three points in time. In general, variables measuring a client's psychiatric history and the responsiveness of the treatment system appear to be better predictors of the receipt of aftercare than client background variables.