Psychiatric Inpatient Unit for Young People Aged 15 to 25: A Follow-up Study

• Autor(a) principal: Vaz Pinto, Sofia
• Data de Publicação: 2023
• Outros Autores: Oliveira, Inês, Barroca, Inês, Leal, Beatriz, Mata, Mónica, Garcia Ribeiro, Catarina, Afonso Quintão, Ana, Amaro, Rita, do Amaral, Sarah, Cifuentes, Rebeca, Caldeira da Silva, Pedro, Salgado, José
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: https://doi.org/10.51338/rppsm.448
• topic: Adolescent Psychiatry; Child Psychiatry; Follow-Up Studies; Inpatients; Mental Disorders; Doentes Internados; Perturbações Mentais; Psiquiatria do Adolescente; Psiquiatria da Criança

Introduction: Adolescence and early adulthood are life stages characterized by significant physical, psychological, and social transformations. The transitional age, between 15 and 25 years old, is considered a high-risk period for the development of psychopathology, representing a critical period of opportunities and challenges for mental health intervention. Our objective was to do 4-year follow-up study was conducted on young individuals who were hospitalized during the year 2018 in the acute psychiatric inpatient unit Unidade Partilhada, dedicated to individuals aged 15 to 25 years old. The aim was to assess the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the sample, inpatient characteristics, rehospitalization rate, psychopathological status, quality of life, satisfaction with the provided care, and maintenance of follow-up appointments; establishing relationships between the mentioned variables. Methods: Standardized telephone interviews were conducted using the reduced version of the Mental Health Inventory (MHI) and the World Health Organization’s Abbreviated Instrument for Quality of Life Assessment. Clinical records were also consulted. Results: There was a higher percentage of female patients (52.1%). The discharge diagnosis of mood disorders (54.3%) was significantly higher in females, while psychotic disorders (23.4%) were significantly higher in males (Fisher = 40; p<0.001). The duration of hospitalization (average=16.1 days; SD=13.6 days) was significantly longer for psychotic disorders compared to mood disorders (p=0.009). A percentage of 41.5% of young individuals were readmitted, with 6.3% readmitted within 30 days and 35.2% readmitted within 365 days. At the time of the follow-up interview, 80.9% considered themselves “better,” and 62.7% reported being “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their lives. A percentage of 74.5% continued to receive outpatient care, with significantly lower MHI scores observed among individuals without current follow‐up. A percentage of 37.2% reported being “very satisfied” or “extremely satisfied” with the care provided. Conclusion: Obtaining knowledge and data that allow for the characterization of psychiatric hospitalization during the transitional age is fundamental for the planning, organization, and optimization of care provided to this population. Valuing patient opinions and fostering closer relationships between healthcare professionals and young patients promotes treatment adherence.