Homelessness and associated factors over a 13-year period among psychiatric in-patients in Berlin, Germany: routine data analysis.

Background: Homeless patients in psychiatric hospitals are a scarcely studied and there is lack of knowledge about factors associated with homelessness and in-patient treatment.

Aims: To determine the change over time in the number of homeless psychiatric in-patients and to examine factors associated with homelessness.

Method: Retrospective data analysis of 1205 selected electronic patient files on psychiatric in-patient treatment in a university psychiatric hospital in Berlin, Germany.