OUTCOME OF SHORT-TERM CHILD PSYCHIATRIC-HOSPITALIZATION - TEACHER EVALUATION AT 5-MONTH AND 12-MONTH FOLLOW-UP

This prospective followup study reports the outcome of children and ad olescents discharged from short-term inpatient treatment based on teac her evaluations with Rutter's Questionnaire. There was a significant r eduction in deviant behaviour between pretreatment and 5-month follow- up assessment but not between 5-month and 1-year follow-up. However, r elatively few children fell within the normal range of nonclinically r eferred children. The child's more impaired general functioning, more frequent individual behaviour symptoms, antisociality and disengaged f amily interaction were associated with less favourable outcome. Pure a ffective or anxiety disorder predicted functioning within normal range and improvement in behaviour problems at follow-up. Treatment variabl es were not found to be associated with the outcome.