Characterizing suicidal ideation, suicidal behaviors, and service utilization among unhoused individuals using a health information exchange.

Abstract

Unhoused individuals have high rates of suicidal ideation (SI)and suicidal behaviors (SB),but few have studied the relative timing of homelessness and SI/SB.Our study examines the potential to use state-wide electronic health record data from Rhode Island's health information exchange (HIE)to identify temporal relationships, service utilization, and associations of SI/SBamong unhoused individuals. We use timestamped HIE data for 5368 unhoused patients to analyze service utilization and the relative timing of homelessness versus SI/SBonset. Multivariable models identified associations of SI/SB,hospitalization, and repeat acute care utilization within 30 days from clinical features representing 10,000+ diagnoses captured within the HIE. The onset of SI typically precedes homelessness onset, while the onset of SB typically follows. Weekly rates of suicide-related service utilization increased over 25 times the baseline rate during the week before and after homelessness onset. Over 50% of encounters involving SI/SB result in hospitalization. Of those engaging in acute care for suicide-related reasons, we found high rates of repeat acute care encounters. HIEs are a particularly valuable resource for understudied populations. Our study demonstrates how longitudinal, multi-institutional data from an HIE can be used to characterize temporal associations, service utilization, and clinical associations of SI and behaviors among a vulnerable population at scale. Increasing access to services that address co-occurring SI/SB, mental health, and substance use is needed.