title: Health care utilization prior to loss to care among veterans with serious mental illness.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the association between utilization of Veterans Affairs (VA) health services and the probability of treatment dropout among veterans with serious mental illness.
  
  
  METHODS
  Utilization of VA health services in the fiscal year (FY) before treatment dropout among veterans with serious mental illness who were lost to care for at least 12 months beginning in FYs 2008 or 2009 (N=6,687) was compared with utilization in FYs 2007 or 2008 among veterans with serious mental illness who remained in care (N=6,687).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The veterans (mean age=54) were predominantly male (91%) and Caucasian (76%). After accounting for demographic and clinical variables, the analyses found that more primary care and mental health outpatient visits and fewer general medical and mental health hospitalizations were associated with lower odds of dropout.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Engagement in outpatient health care was associated with lower odds of loss to care among veterans with serious mental illness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Universityof Michigan Medical School, North Campus Research Complex, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. krabraha@umich.edu
authors.forename: Kristen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Abraham
authors.forename: Zongshan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Nicholas W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Bowersox
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Goodrich
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Visnic
authors.forename: Jeffrey P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Burk
authors.forename: Amy M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kilbourne
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010352:Patient Dropouts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D014728:Veterans