NEED AND UNMET NEED FOR MENTAL-HEALTH-CARE AMONG ELDERLY PUBLIC-HOUSING RESIDENTS

Epidemiologic survey data from elderly residents of six public housing developments were used to determine the prevalence of need and unmet need for mental health care. Thirty-seven percent of this predominantl y African American sample needed mental health services, and 58% of th ose who needed care had unmet needs. Logistic regression analyses show ed that males, older residents, those with no Medicare insurance, and those with more Activities of Daily Living (ADL) impairments were at g reater risk of both needing mental health care and receiving no mental health care services. Findings suggest the need for targeted interven tions that would increase service utilization and potentially reduce t he likelihood of eviction or placement in more restrictive settings.