title: Age as a factor in identifying young adult chronic patients who are difficult to treat.
abstract: Age younger than 35 years has been used as a factor in identifying young adult chronic mentally ill patients, a group considered difficult to treat due to their rebelliousness, lack of insight about their mental illness, and increased likelihood of showing symptoms of borderline or antisocial personality disorder. In a sample of psychiatric outpatients, the authors found that a subgroup of patients under age 35 fit this profile, while other patients under age 35 and nearly all patients over age 35 did not. The authors conclude that age is a legitimate factor in identifying a subgroup of challenging patients and that such patients may outgrow many troublesome characteristics as they age.
authors.affiliation: Social Psychiatric Clinic, University of Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wyler
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kupper
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D015897:Comorbidity; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003688:Deinstitutionalization; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008329:Managed Care Programs; D010552:Personality Assessment; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D013557:Switzerland; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000523:psychology*