title: Clinical characteristics and health resource use of men and women veterans with serious mental illness.
abstract: In this retrospective analysis of gender-specific differences among veterans with serious mental illness, the clinical characteristics and health service utilization of 57 women and 114 men were compared. Women had fewer comorbid psychiatric illnesses than men, and substance use disorders were the most frequent comorbid psychiatric illness for both genders. Unlike nonveteran samples with serious mental illness, the veterans in this study showed no gender differences in hospital length of stay. Atypical antipsychotics, used for only suboptimally responsive illness in the study group, were prescribed for 50 percent of women with primary psychosis, compared with 15.3 percent of men with primary psychosis. The results suggest that psychosis among women veterans is more severe or refractory than that among men veterans.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Service of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Brecksville, OH 44141, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sajatovic
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vernon
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Semple
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009820:Ohio / Q000453:epidemiology; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014600:Utilization Review; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents