Psychiatric disorders among older adolescents treated in emergency departments on weekends: a comparison with a matched community sample.
OBJECTIVE
This study was undertaken to explore the characteristics of young patients treated in emergency departments (EDs) who follow through with an evaluation for psychiatric disorders as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) and to investigate differences in rates of psychiatric disorders between ED-treated adolescents and demographically similar adolescents recruited from the community.


METHODS
Sixty three older adolescents (40 males) who were treated at two urban university hospital EDs were matched one-to-one on age, gender and race with 63 adolescents recruited from the community for participation in studies at an alcohol research center. Comprehensive psychiatric interviews were conducted with both groups.


RESULTS
ED-treated adolescents were diagnosed with higher rates of current alcohol use disorders (AUDs), current drug use disorders and current major depression than were community controls. The ED sample had a particularly high rate of the DSM-IV "hazardous use" of alcohol symptom. ED-treated adolescents also had a higher rate of lifetime comorbid alcohol use disorders and drug use disorders, as well as a higher rate of lifetime comorbid alcohol use disorders and major depression, compared with the community controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Adolescents who are treated in EDs should be routinely assessed for the presence of AUD, drug involvement and depressive disorders.
Pittsburgh Adolescent Alcohol Research Center, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA. kellytm@msx.upmc.edu
Thomas M
TM
Kelly
John E
JE
Donovan
Jack R
JR
Cornelius
Oscar G
OG
Bukstein
Theodore R
TR
Delbridge
Duncan B
DB
Clark
D000293:Adolescent; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000453:epidemiology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D004637:Emergency Services, Psychiatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010414:Pennsylvania; D010552:Personality Assessment; D012016:Reference Values; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology