Related Experiment Videos
Psychiatric consultations in pediatric inpatients
1Department of Psychiatry, Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Insights
Hospitalized children often experience emotional problems. Psychiatric consultations on pediatric wards are less frequent than in adult units, with unexplained physical symptoms being a common referral reason.
Area of Science:
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Pediatric Psychology
- Medical Psychology
Background:
- Emotional and psychological issues are prevalent in hospitalized children.
- Understanding the unique mental health needs of pediatric patients is crucial for comprehensive care.
- Existing data on psychiatric consultations in pediatric wards, especially in comparison to adult units and international reports, requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the frequency and characteristics of psychiatric consultations in a pediatric ward.
- To compare pediatric consultation rates and diagnoses with non-pediatric wards and Western reports.
- To identify common psychiatric diagnoses and recommended interventions for hospitalized children.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of psychiatric consultations on a pediatric ward over a three-year period.
- Comparison of consultation rates and diagnostic patterns between pediatric and non-pediatric wards.
- Analysis of referral reasons, psychiatric diagnoses, and treatment recommendations.
Main Results:
- Forty psychiatric consultations were requested over three years, representing 0.35% of pediatric admissions and 1.0% of all psychiatric consultations.
- Pediatric consultation rates were significantly lower than in non-pediatric wards.
- Common referral reasons included unexplained physical symptoms; adjustment disorders, anxiety, and somatoform disorders were frequent diagnoses. Pediatric patients showed fewer organic mental disorders compared to non-pediatric groups.
- Psychological and family interventions were commonly recommended alongside medication.
Conclusions:
- Hospitalized children exhibit distinct psychological characteristics necessitating specialized psychiatric assessment and intervention.
- Enhanced collaboration between pediatricians and psychiatrists can improve the mental healthcare of sick children.
- Further research is warranted to explore the unique psychological profiles and needs of hospitalized pediatric populations.
Abstract:
Emotional problems are not uncommon in hospitalized children. The authors reviewed psychiatric consultations on a pediatric ward in a medical center and compared the findings with a non-pediatric group and the Western reports. Forty consultations were requested in a three-year period which represented 0.35% of all admissions to pediatric ward and 1.0% of all psychiatric consultations in that period. The consultation rate of the pediatric ward is significantly lower than that of the non-pediatric wards. The most common reason for the referrals was for the evaluation of possible psychopathogeneses from unexplained physical symptoms. A wide range of psychiatric diagnoses were found. Among them, adjustment disorders, anxiety or somatoform disorders, diagnosis deferred and no psychiatric diagnosis were the most commonly made. Pediatric patients had a similar percentage diagnosis of adjustment disorders compared with the non-pediatric group but far less organic mental disorders. Besides medication, psychological and family intervention were frequently recommended by the psychiatrists. These findings suggest that there were unique psychological characteristics in the hospitalized children which required specialists and further studies. It is hoped that increasing the collaboration between pediatricians and psychiatrists can improve the medical care of these sick children.