60% Of ER Treat-And-Release Visits By The Homeless Are For Behavioral Disorders

About 60% of emergency department treat-and-release visits by the homeless are for behavioral health disorders. Of the approximately 73,000 treat and release visits to teaching hospitals during 2014, about 44,700 (60.7%) were for mental health or substance abuse disorders. Of the approximately 25,600 treat-and-release visits to non-teaching hospitals during 2014, about 14,900 (58.2%) involved mental health or substance abuse disorders.

These findings were reported in the statistical brief "Characteristics of Homeless Individuals Using Emergency Department Services in 2014" through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ) Healtcare . . .