Risk Factors for Seclusion in Children and Adolescents Inpatient Psychiatry: The Role of Demographic Characteristics, Clinical Severity, Life Experiences and Diagnoses.

Objective: To understand the risk factors for seclusion in a sample of children and adolescents admitted to an inpatient psychiatry unit looking at demographic, clinical severity, life experience, and diagnostic characteristics.

Methods: An unmatched case-control retrospective analysis of psychiatric records in a pediatric inpatient unit from December 2011 to December 2015 (N = 1986) RESULTS: Individual characteristics, including demographics, clinical severity, and clinical presentation as per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) jointly predicted seclusion in adolescents, with younger age, male sex, black race, having a prior admission, and having a disruptive behavior or bipolar and related disorder diagnoses being predictive of seclusion. While demographic and clinical severity factors were predictive of seclusion in multivariate models, clinical diagnoses only added modestly to the variance explained.

Use of Modified Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports in a Psychiatric Inpatient Unit for High-Risk Youths.

Objective: Despite a call for the reduction and ultimate elimination of the use of seclusion and restraint, research on reduction of these practices in behavioral programs has been limited. This study sought to examine the effectiveness of a modified version of the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (M-PBIS) implemented in a youth psychiatric inpatient unit to reduce use of seclusion and restraint.

Methods: This naturalistic, prospective study covered a four-year period (1,485 admissions).

Family-style dining on a child and adolescent psychiatry unit: a quality improvement project to reduce weight changes in patients.

Background: Improving nutritional standards for children has become a national health initiative. However, children who are hospitalized are often at additional risk for poor nutrition and diet. Following a change to family-style dining, nursing staff noted significant patient weight changes.