Assertive community treatment and medication compliance in the homeless mentally ill.

OBJECTIVE: This study describes medication compliance rates among a group of homeless mentally ill subjects who received assertive community treatment.

METHOD: The medication compliance of 77 homeless persons who had been referred to an assertive community treatment program was prospectively evaluated at baseline and quarterly for 1 year.

RESULTS: A minority of the cohort (29%) was compliant at entry into the assertive community treatment program. Compliance significantly increased after 3 months (57%) and remained high through the year. Medication compliance was associated with fewer psychiatric symptoms but not with better housing placements or fewer days in the hospital.

CONCLUSIONS: Medication compliance rates among a cohort of homeless persons with severe mental illness were markedly higher after they entered a program of assertive community treatment.