Psychiatric services : a journal of the American Psychiatric Association
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This paper compares the prevalence of mental illnesses and alcohol and drug abuse and the residential histories of homeless individuals identified as having a mental illness and individuals who are not so identified. The cohort consisted of single persons applying for shelter over a 12-week period in Westchester County, a suburban county in New York State. ⋯ Not only is residential instability heightened among shelter users with mental illness, but over time public institutions play a critical role in their accommodations. For some homeless persons with mental illness, the circuit of shelters, rehabilitation programs, jails, and prisons may function as a makeshift alternative to inpatient care or supportive housing and may reinforce the marginalization of this population.