Adolescent inpatient mental health services in the UK.

Inpatient mental health services are an indispensable part of the mental healthcare for adolescents. They provide comprehensive assessment and treatment for young people severely affected by mental health difficulties whose presentation is associated with high level of risk or where diagnostic clarity and effective intervention cannot be achieved with less intensive community input. In the UK, a range of different mental health units have been developed with the aim to meet the needs of young people requiring admission with the appropriate expertise and in the least restrictive way possible.