Inpatient treatment for depressed children and adolescents: preliminary evaluations

Reported are the results of two uncontrolled outcome studies that evaluate the effectiveness of inpatient psychiatric treatment of children and adolescents suffering from clinical depression. Study 1 employed a sample of 7 children and measured outcome with the Depression Self-rating Scale (DSRS), the Hopelessness Scale for Children (HSC), and the Global Asssessment of Functioning (GAF) scale, which were administered to each child upon admission and again at discharge. Inpatient treatment involved multiple interventions, including individual psychotherapy, medication, milieu therapy and token economy, and other procedures. At discharge, statistically significant improvements were found on the patients' GAF and HSC scores, but not on their DSRS scores. Study 2 used a sample of 15 adolescents, also admitted for clinical depression. Administered at each patient's admission and discharge, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Generalized Contentment Scale (GCS), and Index of Self-esteem (ISE) were used to measure outcome. The multi-modal treatment program offered to the sample in Study 2 was similar to that offered the sample in Study 1. At discharge all three outcome measures reflected statistically significant improvements in the patients studies; therefore, these results provide addmtional support for the inpatient treatment of depressed children and adolescents.