[Child and adolescent psychiatric and therapeutic treatment needs in care settings in the Lower Austrian industrial district. A survey of the demand situation].

An increasing need for child and adolescent psychiatric care is clearly observed in recent years. The present study deals with 20 child and youth care facilities taking care of 439 children and adolescents, in the industrial district, in Lower Austria. The aim of the study is to evaluate treatment needs of this special group of patients. The care facilities reported that 270 children and adolescents (62%) show psychiatric problems. Of these, 220 (50.1%) are diagnosed with one or more psychiatric diagnoses, and 200 children and adolescents are receiving child and adolescent psychiatric treatment. Eleven care facilities reported the necessity for treatment in 80-100% of their accommodated children and adolescents. This results in highly stressful working conditions for professional psychosocial helpers and high treatment needs within their fosterlings. It is evident that more intensive networking and cooperation between institutions and helpers involved is necessary. Further, the development of new, low-threshold child and adolescent psychiatric services would be desirable to adequately meet the increasing need for psychiatric treatment in children and adolescents.