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Journal of the New Zealand Medical Association, 25-May-2012, Vol 125 No 1355

[full text] [PDF]

Trends in child and adolescent discharges at a New Zealand psychiatric inpatient unit between 1998 and 2007

Kirsten van Kessel, Elizabeth Myers, Sarah Stanley, Peter W Reed

Abstract

Aim
This paper describes demographic and diagnostic data for young people discharged from a regional child and adolescent psychiatric inpatient unit in New Zealand (NZ) over a 10-year period (January 1998–December 2007).

Method
Data was obtained from an electronic database, including the number of discharges, demographic characteristics (age, ethnicity, gender) and clinical data (primary diagnosis at discharge, length of stay).

Results
Results showed a significant increase in number of discharges over time but no significant change in length of stay. Significant linear trends of increasing proportions of psychotic disorders and decreasing proportions of affective, bipolar affective, personality traits, suicidal/self-harm, and externalising behaviour disorders were observed. Results also found a significant decrease in the proportion of discharges of young people of European descent and a significant increase in proportion of discharges of those of Māori descent.

Conclusions
This study provides evidence of changing patterns in demographic and diagnostic variables in a NZ child and adolescent inpatient population over a 10-year period. The findings have important implications for future service delivery in child and adolescent psychiatric inpatient settings.