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. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, 1990, 29, 6:847–853. © 1990, The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. All rights reserved.