Inpatient psychiatric treatment of children and adolescents: a review of outcome studies.
All outcome studies of child and adolescent residential treatment and inpatient psychiatric hospitalization reported in the literature from 1975 to the present were examined. A set of statistical procedures was developed to integrate the findings of the 34 studies, which provided a weighted predictive value for 10 variables. Psychiatric hospitalization was often beneficial, particularly if a specialized treatment program and aftercare were available and if the child presented with a less pathological clinical picture. Age at admission and sex bore no relationship to favorable outcome, and IQ and length of stay yielded only a modest relationship to outcome. Recommendations to guide future researchers are offered that will provide new insights into better understanding inpatient psychiatric treatment.
Pfeiffer
S I
SI
Institute of Clinical Training and Research, Devereux Foundation, Devon, Pennsylvania 19333-0400.
Strzelecki
S C
SC
D000293:Adolescent; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D010553:Personality Development; D012114:Residential Treatment / Q000379:methods*