Family Stress Moderates Emotional and Behavioral Symptoms in a Child Partial Hospital Setting

Objective Partial hospitalization programs are an increasingly utilized, multidisciplinary treatment for children with social, emotional, and behavioral needs. Although previous work suggests these programs improve children’s mental health functioning, outcomes research has been limited. This study examines moderators of emotional and behavioral outcomes in children with serious mental illness, with particular focus on demographic (age, race, insurance type, and gender) and family (stressors and supports) factors. Method The study includes 287 children ages 7–13. Children completed standardized questionnaires at admission and discharge including the Behavior Assessment System for Children-2 the Child Depression Inventory 2, and the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders while caregivers completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Results Results indicate improvements in children’s anxiety, depressive symptoms, psychological adjustment, and emotional symptoms. Furthermore, children with private insurance reported significant decreases in depressive ( p