Factors affecting improvement of children and adolescents who were treated in the child and adolescent psychiatry inpatient unit

• Published in: Journal of international medical research Vol. 45; no. 4; pp. 1318 - 1323
• Main Authors: Serim Demirgoren, Burcu, Ozbek, Aylin, Gencer, Ozlem
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01-08-2017
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescent Psychiatry; Child; Female; Hospitalization; Humans; Inpatients; Male; Mood Disorders - diagnosis; Mood Disorders - therapy; Patient Outcome Assessment; Research Reports; Retrospective Studies; Schizophrenia - diagnosis; Schizophrenia - therapy; Treatment Outcome; CGAS; Child and adolescent psychiatry; functionality; inpatient service; improvement
• ISSN: 0300-0605; 1473-2300
• DOI: 10.1177/0300060517713833

Objective
This study aimed to assess the correlates and predictors of improvement in general functioning of children and adolescents who are treated in the child and adolescent psychiatry (CAMHS) inpatient unit.
Methods
Hospital records of 308 children and adolescents who were treated for at least 1 month in the CAMHS inpatient unit from 2005–2016 were included. Associations with individual, familial, and clinical variables and the difference in Children’s Global Assessment Scale (ΔCGAS) scores at admission and discharge were evaluated.
Results
Positive predictors of ΔCGAS were older age and lower CGAS scores at admission, whereas high familial risk scores at admission and diagnosis of early-onset schizophrenia negatively predicted ΔCGAS (B = 0.698, p = 0002; B = −0.620, p < 0.001; B = −0.842, p = 0.002; B =−9.184, p = 0.000, respectively). Familial risk scores were significantly and negatively correlated with ΔCGAS (p = 0.004, Spearman’s rho = −0.2).
Conclusions
This study indicates that improvement in general functioning during inpatient treatment in CAMHS is better at an older age and with lower general functioning at admission. However, high familial risks and diagnosis of early-onset schizophrenia weakens this improvement.