A prospective multi-centre study of admissions to adolescent inpatient units

There has been little empirical investigation of adolescent psychiatric hospitalization, with a reliance upon single-unit descriptions. The present study examined 276 admissions to four specialized adolescent psychiatry inpatient units over a three-year period. Multiple reasons to admit were the norm. Seven diagnostic groups accounted for 90% of the admissions. Inpatient treatment programmes often involved resources and agencies external to the units. Only 67% of admissions led to "completed treatment", but the likelihood of premature discharge was not reduced by reliance upon elective admissions; instead, the type of diagnosis was important.