[Access to case records in department for child and adolescent psychiatry]

The object of this investigation was registration of all requests for access to case records in 1987 in all departments for child and adolescent psychiatry in Denmark. A total of 34 requests were made concerning child psychiatric departments and 55 concerning departments for adolescent psychiatry. This corresponds to requests for access to case records in 0.8% of all patients admitted to departments of child psychiatry, and also 0.8% of the outpatients. In the departments for adolescent psychiatry, access to the case records was desired concerning 16.5% of the hospitalized adolescents. No complaints have been made concerning access to the case records and it is concluded that the new Danish law functions satisfactorily also where parents were concerned, where the possibility of providing limited insight for adolescents or parents may be of value. The significance of introduction of a period of limitation for access to case records in departments for child and adolescent psychiatry is emphasized.