CAMHS dependency scoring: clarity and clinical relevance of the CAMHS-AID.

Aim: A dependency measure (the CAMHS-AID) was developed in Birmingham and Manchester to support more accurate decisions about whether a young person can be accommodated on a child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) inpatient unit. This study aimed to test the content and face validity of the scale.

Method: Eighty-six nursing staff were provided with booklets of the randomly ordered CAMHS-AID items and asked to rate the clarity of the items and how well they reflected clinical practice on a 5-point scale.

Measuring patient dependency in child and adolescent mental health.

Within the context of child and adolescent mental health inpatient services, a literature review was undertaken to understand the concept of inpatient dependency and how it can be measured. Articles and books relating to patient dependency and its measurement in various contexts were retrieved, and other published measures were identified. It was found that dependency has been defined in many different ways, and various techniques have aimed to quantify or categorize patients' dependencies.