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Inpatient Psychiatry Patient Reported Outcomes: Adolescent Emotional Distress, Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors
Patricia Ibeziako1,2, Katy Kaufman1, Annmarie Caracansi1,2
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Boston Children's Hospital Boston Massachusetts USA.
Psychiatric Research and Clinical Practice
|September 11, 2025
Summary
Pediatric inpatient psychiatry units effectively treat adolescents with severe mental health conditions. These units show significant improvements in depression, anxiety, and suicidal behaviors, highlighting their vital role in youth mental healthcare.
Area of Science:
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Mental Health Services Research
- Patient-Reported Outcomes
Background:
- The youth mental health crisis, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, has increased demand for pediatric inpatient psychiatry units (IPUs).
- Pediatric IPUs are an understudied but critical treatment model for adolescents facing severe mental health challenges.
- Despite bed shortages, understanding the effectiveness of IPUs is crucial for improving youth mental healthcare access.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine patient-reported outcomes (PROs) of clinical symptoms and functioning in adolescents treated at a pediatric IPU.
- To assess the impact of IPU treatment on depression, suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs), anxiety, emotion dysregulation, family functioning, and quality of life.
- To provide evidence supporting the efficacy of pediatric IPUs for severe adolescent mental health conditions.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 218 adolescent admissions (ages 12-17) to a pediatric IPU.
- Adolescents completed PROs at admission and discharge to measure key mental health and functioning indicators.
- Paired t-tests were used to analyze changes in PRO scores from admission to discharge, determining treatment effects.
Main Results:
- High prevalence of depressive disorders (93%) and lifetime suicide attempts (76%) was observed upon admission.
- Significant improvements were noted across all PRO measures, including depression, STBs, anxiety, emotion regulation, family functioning, and quality of life (p < 0.01).
- Large effect sizes were found for depression (d=1.00), mood (d=0.724), and suicidal ideation (d=0.682), indicating robust treatment efficacy.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric IPUs are a vital and effective treatment model for adolescents with severe mental health crises.
- The study findings support the critical role of IPUs in delivering life-saving care for youth.
- Increased research and improved access to pediatric IPU care are warranted to address the growing youth mental health needs.
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