Virginia Via Research Day Book 2026

Medical Student Research Public Health

05 THE COMMUNITY COST OF STABILITY: EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PSR AND MHCSS COMPARED TO PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALIZATION IN ROANOKE, VA

Aquije D. OMS-II, Burkett B. OMS-II, Chalamalasetty V OMS-II, Elassal M. OMS-II, Keith A. OMS-II, McBride P. OMS-II, Sivanandan N. OMS-II, McCauley-Wittl C. DNP, Nicholson J. MAT , Kadio, B. MD PhD MPH Corresponding author: nsivanandan@vcom.edu; melsassal@vcom.edu

VCOM-Virginia, Blacksburg, Virginia

MHCSS (n = 39) at Roanoke Resource, a community mental health agency. A subset of clients participated in both programs. Extracted variables included age, gender, primary psychiatric diagnosis, program type, length of service, and number of psychiatric hospitalizations within the previous 12 months. Descriptive and comparative analyses were used to characterize diagnostic subgroups, service utilization patterns, and hospitalization frequency across program types. Results: Most clients carried diagnoses of schizophrenia/schizoaffective or bipolar disorders, with a smaller proportion diagnosed with major depressive disorder. Across PSR, MHCSS, and combined program participants, hospitalization rates were relatively low, with the majority of clients experiencing zero or one psychiatric hospitalization within the examined 12-month period. Clients engaged in both PSR and MHCSS demonstrated the lowest observed hospitalization frequency. Length of service ranged from less than 1 year to over 10 years, with many clients maintaining multi-year engagement in at least

one program, suggesting that these services support sustained community tenure for individuals with chronic psychiatric conditions. Conclusions: In this pilot sample from an underserved region, community-based PSR and MHCSS programs were associated with relatively low psychiatric hospitalization rates and evidence of long-term community stability, particularly among clients engaged in both services. These preliminary findings support the potential of community mental health programs as viable alternatives or adjuncts to inpatient psychiatric care. Larger studies incorporating cost analyses, diagnostic stratification, and linkage with billing and electronic medical record data are needed to determine whether these models provide sustainable, cost-effective strategies to reduce hospitalization and improveoutcomes for individuals with serious mental illness. IRB Statement: This study was approved by the VCOM Institutional Review Board (protocol 2315406-2).

Background/Context: Mental health is a growing concern in Roanoke, Virginia, where nearly half of surveyed households cite mental health as a top concern, and large portions of the region are designated mental health professional shortage areas. Community based programs such as Psychosocial Rehabilitation (PSR) and Mental Health Community Support Services (MHCSS) are designed to reduce psychiatric hospitalizations, build coping skills, and promote long-term stability, but local data on their impact remain limited. Objective/Hypothesis: To evaluate whether participation in PSR and/or MHCSS at a community mental health agency in Roanoke, VA, is associated with reduced psychiatric hospitalization and improved community stability among adults with serious mental illness, compared to traditional reliance on inpatient care. We hypothesized that clients engaged in these services, especially those utilizing both, would demonstrate relatively low hospitalization rates. Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of adults receiving services through PSR (n = 25) and

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