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Portable Intermodal Preferential Looking (IPL): Investigating Language Comprehension in Typically Developing Toddlers and Young Children with Autism
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Portable Intermodal Preferential Looking (IPL): Investigating Language Comprehension in Typically Developing Toddlers and Young Children with Autism

Published on: December 14, 2012

Psychopathology of latency age children. Relation to treatment planning

C R Pfeffer, R Plutchik

    The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
    |April 1, 1982
    PubMed

    Insights

    Hospitalized children exhibited more severe behavioral issues and parental psychopathology. Factors like assaultive behavior and parental separation predicted psychiatric hospitalization, informing treatment decisions.

    Area of Science:

    • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
    • Developmental Psychology
    • Behavioral Science

    Background:

    • Children evaluated in psychiatric settings present complex behavioral and emotional challenges.
    • Understanding factors differentiating outpatient and inpatient pediatric psychiatric populations is crucial for effective care.
    • Assessing environmental, familial, and individual psychological functioning is key in pediatric mental health.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To compare psychiatric outpatient and inpatient children (ages 6-12) on various behavioral and functioning metrics.
    • To identify predictors of psychiatric hospitalization in children.
    • To inform clinical recommendations regarding indications for psychiatric hospitalization.

    Main Methods:

    • Comparative analysis of 103 children (ages 6-12) from psychiatric outpatient and inpatient units.
    • Assessment of suicidal/assaultive behaviors, affects, environmental stresses, family background, and ego functioning.
    • Multiple regression analysis to determine variance in psychiatric hospitalization prediction.

    Main Results:

    • Inpatient children displayed significant deficits in ego functioning and more severe acting out behaviors.
    • Inpatient children showed greater difficulties in affect regulation and higher parental psychopathology.
    • Child's assaultive behavior, suicidal behavior, antisocial behavior, reality testing, parental separation, and pregnancy complications predicted 51.2% of hospitalization variance.

    Conclusions:

    • Deficits in ego functioning, behavioral issues, and parental psychopathology are associated with psychiatric hospitalization.
    • Specific child behaviors and family factors are significant predictors of the need for inpatient psychiatric care.
    • Findings guide recommendations for the judicious use of psychiatric hospitalization in pediatric populations.

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