title: Child internalizing and externalizing behavior as predictors of age at first admission and risk for repeat admission to a child inpatient facility.
abstract: Gaining a better understanding of the types of child symptomatology that predict age at first admission and risk for readmission to a child psychiatric inpatient facility could help to inform the focus of intervention. Accordingly, the current study examined whether internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, alone or in combination, were associated with age at first admission and risk for repeat admission. Analyses were based on a sample of 372 children (M = 9.13 years, SD = 1.91) admitted to an acute psychiatric inpatient facility. Internalizing behavior was associated with a later age at admission, but unrelated to repeat admission. Externalizing behavior was associated with an earlier age at admission and increased risk for repeat admission. Co-occurring internalizing and externalizing behavior problems were associated with increased risk for repeat admission, but were unrelated to age at first admission. Implications for findings are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Austin Peay Building, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA. pfite@utk.edu
authors.forename: Paula J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Fite
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stoppelbein
authors.forename: Leilani
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Greening
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dhossche
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010507:Periodicity; D012307:Risk Factors