The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #58149

Edward J. Clark, MHA¹, Ken Conrad, PhD¹, and George Lutz, PhD². (1) School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1603 W. Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60612, (2) North Chicago VA Medical Center, 3001 N. Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL 60064

The purpose of this study was to analyze how the Housing Quality Questionnaire (HQQ) measured the housing quality for persons who received federal subsidized funding and who were dually diagnosed with Mental Illness and Substance Abuse (MISA) disorders. The sample population included 178 U.S. veterans who predominantly relied on Veteran Affairs and/or Social Security benefits as their main sources of income. All subjects suffered from MISA disorders and the majority were living in the institutional settings of a psychiatric hospital. These veterans were included in the study because their MISA conditions placed them at high risk for inadequate housing or homelessness. The HQQ instrument included 29 items adapted from the housing quality section of the American Housing Survey. A summary score range between zero and eighty-seven was totaled for the HQQ with higher scores equaling inadequate or poor housing quality. The analysis focused on Rasch measurement techniques using the Rating Scale model. An analysis of the effect of active representative payee treatment (i.e., dosage analysis) will be presented. The results at baseline indicated that 8 of 29 items were useful in assessing the housing quality of an institutional setting (n=138). Whereas all 29 items were useful in assessing the housing quality of veterans residing in community settings (n=44). Results at 6-month indicated an HQQ reliability of 0.85. There was no difference between groups in the “intention to treat” analysis.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to:
• 1. Identify the six variables that define housing quality.
• 2. Describe the differences between institutional and independent housing.
• 3. Specify the impact of representative payeeship on housing quality for homeless veterans.

Keywords: Housing, Mental Illness

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.