[Effectiveness and Safety of Home Treatment in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Care: A Systematic Literature Review].

Objective: In child and adolescent psychiatry, home treatment is becoming increasingly important due to limited inpatient care capacities and changing treatment philosophies. This paper examines its effectiveness and safety.

Methods: We did a systematic literature search and summarized the home treatment model characteristics as well as the evidence on its benefits and harms narratively.

Results: In the six identified studies, improvements in symptoms were found in both, home and institutionalized treatment. In the long-term, home treatment seems to be slightly superior and involves fewer hospital days. However, a best-practice model cannot be derived from the data available.

Conclusion: Home treatment can be considered as an alternative to inpatient treatment, but requires coordination with other mental health care elements and further evaluation.