The chronically disturbed adolescent and the surrogate family model: observations on two patient populations

Two preliminary evaluations were conducted by surveying the charts of 15 chronically disturbed adolescents and young adult patients (ages 15 to 30 years) and 23 chronically disturbed adolescents (ages 12 to 18 years) treated in a tertiary surrogate family model hospital. Drug and alcohol use of patients and their parents was assessed in the first patient population. Results indicate that 40% of the patients had at least one parent who formerly used or is still addicted to drugs or alcohol (or both). The second survey examined the Global Assessment Functioning (GAF) scale administered to 23 adolescents on admission and at discharge from the hospital. Scores on the GAF had improved at discharge in 19 of 21 patients whose length of stay ranged from 2 to 12 months. The information gathered from the retrospective surveys of the medical charts of these two patient populations helps to better understand multigenerational influence as a probable factor in the development of the chronically disturbed adolescent. Also, it shows how small psychiatric hospitals may conduct ongoing outcome studies that could be useful to improve staff morale and produce evidence to case managers and third-party payers that their treatment programs provide both positive patient care and positive results.