All-Cause Mortality Following Veterans Affairs and Community Mental Health Residential Treatment

What are the mortality rates postdischarge for matched veterans attending mental health residential treatment programs in the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals compared with veterans receiving VA-paid community care?In this case-control study using propensity score–matched comparisons of a retrospective sample of 26 464 veterans discharged from their first community mental health residential treatment or VA direct residential treatment, veterans attending VA direct residential treatment were estimated to have significantly lower mortality in the next year by up to 27%.Assuming propensity score modeling assumptions are met, in this study VA direct residential treatment was relatively more effective in reducing all-cause mortality in the year postdischarge compared with VA-paid community care residential treatment.

Corresponding Author: Gregory M. Dams, PhD, VA Program Evaluation and Resource Center, 795 Willow Rd, Menlo Park, CA 94025 (gregory.dams@va.gov).

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