This paper evaluated age differences in emergency department care and inpatient hospitalizations in 252 preadolescent and adolescent youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs; ages 9-18). Records from youth with ASDs were linked to acute care utilization records and were compared to a demographically similar comparison group of youth without ASDs…

The purpose of this study was to describe the medication management and treatment provided in a specialty outpatient psychiatry clinic for 198 community-residing children and adults with intellectual disability and other developmental disabilities (IDD) referred to the clinic and discharged between 1999 and 2008. Using a descriptive design, data…

An introduction for any medical health clinician on the knowledge and skills that are needed for the psychiatric assessment and management of physically ill children and adolescents is presented. These parameters are presented to assist clinicians in psychiatric decision making.

We examined the association of callous-unemotional (C/U) traits with length of psychiatric hospitalization among two samples each with 50 participants: a group of 7-11 year-olds (39 males and 11 females) receiving services on a children's unit, and a group of 12-17 year-olds (27 males and 23 females) receiving services on an adolescent unit. Our…

A study aims to examine the existing health care policies in U.S. juvenile detention centres. The results conclude that juvenile detention facilities have many shortfalls in providing care for adolescents, particularly mental health care.

Objective: Several conspiring factors have resulted in an increase in the level of medical burden in psychiatric patients. Psychiatry residents require increasing levels of medical sophistication. To assess the medical decision-making of psychiatry residents, the authors examined the outcome in subjects initially seen in the emergency psychiatric…

Evaluated perceptions of treatment environments within the Comprehensive Drug Program of Dade County (Miami) Florida. Analysis revealed that perceptions of drug clients toward their treatment environments were more positive than those of clients in other types of medical and psychiatric treatment. Perceptions varied directly with contact between…

Paper presented before the Regional Western Divisional Meeting of the National Association for Mental Health, in Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 16, 1968.

This paper describes a continuing psychotropic drug review process at a community-based agency serving individuals with mental retardation. The goals of establishing data-based interdisciplinary team review, utilizing concurrent alternative treatments, and prescribing psychotropic medication at the lowest effective dosage only to those individuals…

Clinical and epidemiological evidence is presented indicating that many more Black delinquent children and their families fail to receive needed psychiatric and medical services than do White delinquents. (Author)

This study used data from 1994 to 1999 from one large county in Pennsylvania to estimate the Medicaid expenditures of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and to compare these expenditures with those of other Medicaid-eligible children. On average, children diagnosed with ASD had expenditures 10 times those of other children.…

Designed to promote and facilitate educational opportunities at the local level for prospective guardians, this manual outlines a model course to introduce the concept of guardianship to persons interested in serving as legal guardians. First, introductory material describes the purpose, content, and development of the model course. Next, a course…

The family's socioeconomic status and the social-psychological aspects of family functioning were found to influence children's physical well-being both directly as well as indirectly through access to good medical care. Quality of psychotherapeutic care had no effect on psychological well being, which was affected by family living conditions.…