Capturing intervention effects over time: reanalysis of a critical time intervention for homeless mentally ill men.
OBJECTIVE
We analyzed whether a method for identifying latent trajectories--latent class growth analysis (LCGA)--was useful for understanding outcomes for individuals subject to an intervention.


METHODS
We used LCGA to reanalyze data from a published study of mentally ill homeless men in a critical time intervention (CTI) program. In that study, 96 men leaving a shelter's on-site psychiatric program were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The former received CTI services and the latter usual services. Each individual's housing circumstances were observed for 18 months after program initiation. Our outcome measure was monthly homelessness: a person was considered homeless in a month if he was homeless for even 1 night that month.


RESULTS
Four latent classes were found among the control group, but just 3 among the experimental group. Control, but not experimental, group individuals showed a small class of chronically homeless men. The size of the never-homeless class was 19 percentage points larger for the experimental than for the control group. J- and inverted-U-shaped patterns were also found among both groups, but with important differences in timing of patterns.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results reveal effects not apparent in the original analysis, suggesting that latent class growth models improve intervention evaluation.
Lennon
Mary Clare
MC
Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, Department of Sociomedical Sciences, 722 W 168th St, 9th floor, New York, NY 10032, USA. mcl3@columbia.edu.
McAllister
William
W
Kuang
Li
L
Herman
Daniel B
DB
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D003688:Deinstitutionalization / Q000458:organization & administration; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009519:New York City; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors