Factors influencing length of inpatient stay for depressed adolescents in a psychiatric hospital.

Abstract

The author applied a twelve-item checklist of criteria for hospitalization to determine the impact of each on length of stay for a group of depressed adolescents admitted to two units of a private child and adolescent psychiatric hospital. Attempts were made to control for the influence of insurance status on time spent in the hospital. Active suicidal preoccupation without active preparation or attempt was the only item found to have significant impact on length of stay.