title: Psychiatric treatment outcomes of preschool children in a family day hospital.
abstract: This study describes the treatment outcomes of preschoolers with severe mental health problems who were treated at the child psychiatric family day hospital for preschool children in Münster, Germany. The eclectic multi-modal treatment combines behavioral and psychodynamic techniques for both parents and children in various settings within an intermittent attendance structure provided by a multi-disciplinary team. This study evaluated 185 children with the Caregiver-Teacher Report Form (C-TRF/1.5-5), which was completed by therapists, and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/1.5-5), which was completed by mothers, at admission and discharge. The mothers' ratings of their children were statistically adjusted for the distortion caused by their own psychopathology. After treatment, the patients showed significant improvement on the C-TRF/CBCL Total Problem score with an average Cohen's d = -0.50 based on therapists' ratings, d = -0.97 for the non-adjusted maternal ratings, and d = -0.68 for the adjusted maternal ratings. We conclude that specialized family day hospitals may successfully treat preschool psychiatric patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Hospital Münster, Schmeddingstrasse 50, 48149, Münster, Germany, joergmichael.mueller@ukmuenster.de.
authors.forename: Jörg Michael
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Marlies
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Averbeck-Holocher
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Romer
authors.forename: Tilman
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fürniss
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Achtergarde
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Postert
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003631:Day Care, Medical / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome