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Health and Mental Health Care Utilization by Clients of Resources for Homeless Persons in Quebec City and Montreal, Canada: A 5-Year Follow-Up Study

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Abstract

The objective of this cohort study is to describe the service utilization by clients of homeless resources in Quebec and Montreal (Canada) over a 5-year period. Participants (N = 426) were recruited from a survey conducted in 1999 about clients’ utilization of resources intended for homeless people in Montreal and Quebec. Data analyzed in this study were also drawn from three administrative databanks managed by the Quebec health care system. Results revealed that: (1) in general, mental health services are less used than physical health services; (2) generally, women, older persons, nonhomeless persons, and persons with mental health problems utilized proportionately more health services; and (3) participants involved in this study tend to continue using services over years in a system where health services are free. These findings are discussed in terms of long-term service utilization by clients of homeless resources.

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Acknowledgements

Written consent was obtained from the persons or their relatives for publication of the study. The authors wish to thank the persons who agreed to participate in this research and the Centre d’Accès aux Données de Recherches de l’Institut de la Statistique du Québec (CADRISQ) who provided help throughout the process. This study was supported by grants from the Institut de la Statistique du Québec (LF) for the data collection and by Fonds de Recherche en Santé du Québec (FRSQ) for the writing of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Nursing Sciences, University of Montreal, C.P. 6128 Succ. Centre-Ville, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3C 3J7

    Jean-Pierre Bonin PhD

  2. Institut National de Santé Publique du Québec (INSPQ), Montreal, QC, Canada

    Louise Fournier PhD

  3. Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, C.P. 6128 Succ. Centre-ville, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3C 3J7

    Régis Blais PhD

  4. Douglas Mental Health University Institute, 6875 LaSalle Blvd., Borough of Verdun, Montreal, QC, Canada, H4H 1R3

    Michel Perreault PhD

  5. Agence de santé et de services sociaux de Montréal, 3725 rue St-Denis, Montréal, (QC), Canada, H2X 3L9

    Noé Djawn White BSc

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  1. Jean-Pierre Bonin PhD
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  2. Louise Fournier PhD
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  3. Régis Blais PhD
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  4. Michel Perreault PhD
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  5. Noé Djawn White BSc
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Correspondence to Jean-Pierre Bonin PhD.

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Louise Fournier, Régis Blais, Michel Perreault, and Noé Djawn White contributed equally to this work.

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Bonin, JP., Fournier, L., Blais, R. et al. Health and Mental Health Care Utilization by Clients of Resources for Homeless Persons in Quebec City and Montreal, Canada: A 5-Year Follow-Up Study. J Behav Health Serv Res 37, 95–110 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-009-9184-0

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