Detailed contribution information
| Contribution title | 3472 - Emergency psychiatric care for children and adolescents: lessons from an Icelandic study and recommendations for practice |
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| Contribution code | PS01-23 (P) |
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| Form of presentation | Poster |
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| Abstract |
In many European countries as well as in Australia and North America, there has been recently a large and still increasing number of children and adolescents seeking help for acute psychiatric problems. Policy questions have been raised concerning the necessary development of emergency mental health care. Given the dramatically increasing number of requests in Iceland, a retrospective study has been conducted to determine the demographic, the associated factors and the clinical characteristics of children and youth presented in 2013 for acute psychiatric problems, including the context of request and the level of care finally recommended. Comparisons have been made with available data from 2008, before the onset of the economical crisis. Participants: All children and adolescent who presented for emergency mental health services at the outpatient clinic of the department of child and adolescent psychiatry of the National University Hospital of Iceland – during the years 2008 (158 patients) and 2013 (308 patients). Method: Patients have been evaluated using routine non-structured psychiatric evaluations and several rating-scales, the ICD-10 diagnoses being assigned under the supervision of child and adolescent psychiatrists. Information have been collected about important risk factors, source and context of requests, as well as about treatment provided and level of care recommended. Previous studies were used as criteria for data collection and two emergency scales (Rosenn and APPERC) were used to assess the appropriateness of referrals. Special attention will be payed to patients who were admitted to the inpatient unit. Results and discussion: This study sheds light on the needs and characteristics of psychiatric emergency patients. About 47-55 percentage of cases were considered inappropriate emergency referrals. Best practices have yet to be established for pediatric emergency mental health services, which must begin with a good understanding of the individuals who present for such services. The study results are discussed with the intent of making recommendations on the standardization of emergency psychiatric care. |