Objective: To investigate predictors of readmission to inpatient psychiatric treatment for children aged 5 to 12 discharged from acute-care hospitalization. Method: One hundred nine children were followed for 1 year after discharge from inpatient care. Time to rehospitalization was the outcome of interest. Predictors of readmission, examined via…

Objective: To predict psychiatric hospital length of stay (LOS) for a sample of Illinois Department of Children and Family Services wards across 4 fiscal years. Method: A prospective design was implemented using the Children's Severity of Psychiatric Illness scale, a reliable and valid measure of psychiatric severity, risk factors, youth…

This case report describes the successful treatment of severe self-injurious behavior in a 16-year-old adolescent with Tourette's disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Treatment is described from initial presentation to the emergency department for severe self-inflicted oral lacerations through discharge from the inpatient psychiatric…

Objective: To study the differences in children's psychiatric symptoms and child mental health service use at two time points: 1989 and 1999. Method: Two cross-sectional representative samples of 8- to 9-year-old children from southern Finland were compared. The 1989 sample consisted of 985 children, of whom 95% participated, and the 1999 sample…

The practice of child and adolescent psychiatry is more complex now. More is known about the neurobiology of common psychiatric disorders. Sophisticated diagnostic systems can be downloaded for nonprofit use from the Internet (e.g., Kaufman et al., 1997). Treatment alternatives for a single disorder have proliferated (e.g., Clarke et al., 1999;…

Objective: The short-term benefit of risperidone in ameliorating severe disruptive behavior in pediatric patients with autism spectrum disorders is well established; however, only one placebo-controlled, long-term study of efficacy is available. Method: Thirty-six children with an autism spectrum disorder (5-17 years old) accompanied by severe…

When parents bring their child or adolescent for consultation with a mental health professional, they are usually frustrated, worried, and confused. They may have a litany of complaints about symptoms and problematic behaviors exhibited by their son or daughter, and the entire family is likely to feel bewildered, caught up in intense, conflicting…

Of all of the medical specialties, child and adolescent psychiatry has the most severe shortage of practitioners. This shortage is even more pronounced in economically disadvantaged and rural areas. The American Indian population is younger, more economically disadvantaged, and more rural than the general U.S. population (United States Census…

Objective: The national shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists has prompted efforts to improve recruitment. It is uncertain whether these efforts will be sufficient to address this shortage and its impact on youth mental health services. Method: Data were compared from 1990 to 2001 by state, county characteristics, number of youths, and…