[Evolution of Emergency Department Characteristics in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: A Retrospective Review over Two Decades]

Gender-specific pathways in mental health crisis in adolescents, from consultation to (in)voluntary admission: a retrospective study

BACKGROUND

A strong increase in mental health emergency consultations and admissions in youths has been reported in recent years. Although empirical evidence is lacking, gender differences in risk of admission may have contributed to this increase. A clearer understanding of the relationship, if any, between gender and various aspects of (in)voluntary care would help in more evidence-based service planning.

METHODS

We analysed registry data for 2008-2017 on 3770 outpatient emergencies involving young people aged 12 to 18 years from one urban area in the Netherlands, served by outreaching psychiatric emergency services. These adolescents were seen in multiple locations and received a psychosocial assessment including a questionnaire on the severity of their problems and living conditions. Our aims were to (a) investigate the different locations, previous use of mental health service, DSM classifications, severity items, living conditions and family characteristics involved and (b) identify which of these characteristics in particular contribute to an increased risk of admission.

RESULTS

In 3770 consultations (concerning 2670 individuals), more girls (58%) were seen than boys. Boys and girls presented mainly with relationship problems, followed by disruptive disorders and internalizing disorders. Diagnostic differences diminished in hospitalisation. More specifically, disruptive disorders were evenly distributed. Suicide risk was rated significantly higher in girls, danger to others significantly higher in boys. More girls than boys had recently been in mental health care prior to admission. Although boys and girls overall did not differ in the severity of their problems, female gender predicted admission more strongly. In both boys and girls severity of problems and lack of involvement of the family significantly predicted admission. Older age and danger to others significantly predicted admission among boys, whereas psychosis, suicidality and poor motivation for treatment predicted admission among girls.

CONCLUSION

There are different pathways for youth admission, which can partly be explained by different psychiatric classifications as well as gender-specific differences with regard to age, suicide risk, danger to others and the influence of motivation for treatment. Finally, for both genders, family desire for hospitalisation is also an important predictor.

SARS-CoV-2 and Adolescent Psychiatric Emergencies at the Tübingen University Hospital: Analyzing Trends, Diagnoses, and Contributing Factors

Psychiatric emergencies have increased in recent decades, particularly with the onset of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, and far too little is known about the backgrounds of these emergencies. In this study, we investigated the extent to which the number of psychiatric emergencies changed during and in the aftermath of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic at the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CAP) Tübingen. We considered age and psychiatric diagnoses. Additionally, we evaluated the backgrounds of the emergencies. We applied a mixed- (quantitative and qualitative) methods approach to data on emergency presentations at the CAP Tübingen from the pre-SARS-CoV-2 pandemic period (October 2019-January 2020) to Restriction Phase 1 (October 2020-January 2021), Restriction Phase 2 (October 2021-January 2022), and endemic phase (October 2022-January 2023). The total number of emergencies and those with eating disorders and affective disorders increased, while obsessive-compulsive disorders, expansive disorders and anxiety disorders decreased. The patients presenting in the pre-SARS-CoV-2 pandemic period were younger than those in the subsequent periods. We content-coded the reasons behind the emergency presentations. We also identified four areas of stressors and personality characteristics associated with the emergency presentations. In light of the increasing number of psychiatric emergencies, the long-term aim should be to meet the growing demands and create options for prevention.

Emergency-related inpatient admissions in child and adolescent psychiatry: comparison of clinical characteristics of involuntary and voluntary admissions from a survey in Bavaria, Germany

Emergency inpatient admissions of children and adolescents are more difficult if the patient is admitted involuntarily and/or the caregivers or custodians of institutional care are absent. The present study aimed to clinically characterize involuntary versus voluntary admissions by examining the reasons for presentation and associated factors. We retrospectively analyzed patients who presented to the emergency department of a hospital for child and adolescent psychiatry in Bavaria, Germany, and were admitted as inpatients for crisis intervention in the 4th quarter of 2014-2018. Reasons for presentation, clinical and sociodemographic characteristics, and type of admission (voluntary versus involuntary) were analyzed for 431 emergency inpatient admissions. A total of 106 (24.6%) patients were involuntarily admitted. In a binominal logistic regression, presentation due to alcohol consumption, deviant social behavior, and psychosocial burden was positively associated, whereas difficulties at school and depression were negatively associated, with the likelihood of involuntary admission. 58.5% of the 123 unaccompanied patients were admitted involuntarily. Reasons for the presentation of unaccompanied and voluntary inpatient admissions were suicidal thoughts, psychosocial burden, and externalized aggression. A substantial number of child and adolescent psychiatric admissions represent emergency admissions. Involuntarily admitted patients and unaccompanied children/adolescents represent a non-negligible proportion of clinical routine and the clinical and legal background factors need to be further clarified in future studies. This study is registered in the German Clinical Trials Register (24 September 2019, DRKS00017689).

[The landscape of child and adolescent psychiatry and psychotherapy in Germany: structures, challenges, and developments]

For children and adolescents in need of psychiatric and psychotherapeutic care, outpatient, day patient, and inpatient facilities are provided. A new development is called "inpatient equivalent treatment" that consists of home visits by a multiprofessional team. This paper depicts the landscape of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CAP) Services, covering its historical development and the structural, care policy, and financing backgrounds. Until 2014, there was free choice of private practice locations in the outpatient sector, leaving rural areas and marginalized neighborhoods partially undersupplied until today.The number of beds in the hospital sector decreased significantly between 1991 and 2004. It later rose again in favor of improved regional access and smaller units, with an additional 50% of day patient places. Inpatient equivalent treatments are equally effective, but not yet established nationwide; only a few innovative models have been negotiated. Regional networks of all social support systems, aiming for child psychiatric supply networks, are limited due to the pillarization of the social system. In conclusion, an imperative cooperation between all services of the Social Security Code and enabling true cross-sectoral services would benefit CAP patients.

[Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Emergencies During the Second Wave of the SARS-CoV2-19 Pandemic: Findings from the Tübingen University Hospital]

Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Emergencies During the Second Wave of the SARS-CoV2-19 Pandemic: Findings from the Tübingen University Hospital Abstract. Objective: Child and adolescent psychiatric emergencies during the SARS-CoV2-19 pandemic are part of a controversial discussion. This study investigates the volume of such emergencies, the age of the patients, and the diagnoses of eating disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) that occurred at the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Center (CAP) Tübingen during the second wave of the pandemic compared to the year before. Methods: We evaluated data on all emergencies at CAP Tübingen (telephone calls, outpatients, patient admissions) from 10/2019-01/2020 (first time period) and 10/2020-01/2021 (second wave). Results: The volume of emergencies during the second wave (319 presentations) was 29.7 % higher than during the first time period, and the number of patients (172 presentations) increased by 10.3 %. Compared to the first time period, the number of inpatients was 27.9 % higher, and the emergency admissions increased by 27.8 %. Patients in the second wave were somewhat older, with an average age of 14.8 years (first period: 14.2 years). Eating disorders were more frequent during the second wave, whereas OCD were more frequent in the first time period. Conclusions: Almost 30 % more emergencies were recorded in the second wave of the pandemic, with especially eating disorders increasing. Systematic emergency records should be documented at all German CAPs to enable demand-oriented planning.