Long-term effects of homelessness on mortality: a 15-year Australian cohort study

Abstract

Objective: To examine the effect of homelessness on mortality. Methods: This 15-year retrospective longitudinal cohort study compared mortality outcomes of homeless and non-homeless adults attending the emergency department of an inner-city public hospital in Melbourne, Victoria between 1 January 2003 and 31 December 2004. Homeless individuals had ≥1 recorded episodes of homelessness within the recruitment period, categorised by type: primary, secondary, tertiary, marginally housed. Non-homeless individuals were stably housed throughout. Results: Over 15 years, homeless individuals had a higher mortality rate (11.89 vs. 8.10 per 1,000 person-years), significantly increased mortality risk (ra..