Nordic Journal of Psychiatry最新文献

{"title":"Treatment provided for Danish adolescents who attempt suicide.","authors":"Stine Danielsen, Katrine Strandberg-Larsen, Keith Hawton, Merete Nordentoft, Annette Erlangsen, Trine Madsen","doi":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2747656","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08039488.2026.2747656","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>After a suicide attempt, adolescents should ideally receive psychosocial assessment and aftercare. We investigated the proportion of girls and boys receiving mental health treatment and social interventions within the first weeks and one year after a suicide attempt.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study included a national cohort of children born in Denmark in 1996-2003 who had a hospital-recorded suicide attempt before age 18 years (<i>N</i> = 3650). We also had information on self-reported suicide attempts without hospital presentation on those participating in the 18-year follow-up of the Danish National Birth Cohort (<i>N</i> = 1489). Examined treatment included: (i) psychiatric in- or outpatient contact, (ii) psychotropic medication, (iii) primary care mental health-related contact, and (iv) social interventions. Further, factors associated with not receiving treatment were examined in regression analyses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Two weeks after a hospital-recorded suicide attempt, 55% of girls and 58% of boys had received in- or outpatient treatment at a psychiatric hospital. After one year, 13% of girls and 16% of boys had not received any type of treatment. Younger age at first suicide attempt, no previous psychiatric contact and lower parental education were associated with not receiving treatment. The proportion receiving treatment was lower among adolescents with self-reported suicide attempts compared to adolescents with hospital-recorded attempts.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Efforts should focus on ensuring that adolescents receive psychosocial care after a suicide attempt, particularly younger adolescents and those without previous experiences in the psychiatric system, as well as those who do not present to a hospital with their suicide attempts.</p>","PeriodicalId":19201,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Journal of Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149220207","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The severity of treatment-resistant depression and the response to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation: a prospective, observational, multi-center clinical cohort study.","authors":"Lea Holst, Ana Lisa Carmo, Maria Speed, Marie Borg Kusk Petersen, Sónia Pimenta Alves, Pernille Kølbæk, Christiane Gasse","doi":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2744718","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08039488.2026.2744718","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The Maudsley Staging Method (MSM) is a multidimensional framework for grading treatment resistance in depression (TRD); however, its ability to predict clinical response to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) remains unclear.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To examine the association between MSM-graded treatment resistance and clinical response during rTMS.To investigate links between MSM scores, longitudinal changes in patient-reported depressive symptoms, and mental well-being.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Prospective observational study including patients with unipolar depression referred to a six-week course of rTMS in routine psychiatric care. MSM was assessed within the first two weeks. Patients were stratified into mild (<7), and moderate/severe MSM groups (≥7). Weekly assessments comprised: Clinician-rated (17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D17)), patient-reported depressive symptoms, and mental well-being questionnaires. Response was defined as ≥50% decrease or remission using HAM-D17 score. Data were examined using linear mixed-effects models and multivariable logistic regression.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 67 patients (61% female, mean age: 46 ± 16 years), 21% achieved a response and 17% achieved remission. MSM scores were inversely correlated with treatment response (odds ratio: 0.49, <i>p</i> = 0.008). HAM-D17 scores declined significantly by week 5 in the mild MSM group (30.0%), and by week 3 in the moderate/severe MSM group (21.6%). By week 6, the mild MSM group showed the greatest improvement (mean decrease: HAM-D17: 5.1 vs. 4.6 points, <i>p</i> = 0.030).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Baseline MSM-graded TRD was associated with differential response patterns to rTMS, characterized by earlier symptom improvement in the moderate/severe MSM group but greater overall symptom reduction in the mild group.</p>","PeriodicalId":19201,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Journal of Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149195250","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predictors of improvement in personal recovery and activity engagement among mental health service users following a group-based sensory modulation intervention.","authors":"Klara Forsberg, Daniel Sutton, Sigrid Stjernswärd, Ulrika Bejerholm, Elisabeth Argentzell","doi":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2744720","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08039488.2026.2744720","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Mental health service users often have sensory processing difficulties affecting activity engagement and personal recovery. Since interventions targeting this area are scarce, a group-based sensory modulation intervention was developed. To determine in which settings and for whom this intervention has clinical value, this study aimed to investigate whether sociodemographic and clinical baseline characteristics were associated with improvement in personal recovery and activity engagement.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study included participants from the intervention group (<i>N</i> = 107) of a trial (reg.nr: NCT06432114) evaluating an 11-week group-based sensory modulation intervention in mental health outpatient units. Data were collected at baseline, post-intervention, and at 6-month follow-up. Analysis included descriptive statistics and baseline-adjusted multiple linear regression models.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Results showed that the absence of a psychosis diagnosis was associated with a higher mean score of personal recovery at post-intervention (<i>p</i> = 0.003), but not at 6-months follow-up (<i>p</i> = 0.826). There were no significant associations between the predictors and activity engagement.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Most predictors in the models were not significantly associated with improvement across any of the outcomes. This suggests that improvement in personal recovery and activity engagement, following the intervention, was accessible to the diverse group of mental health service users, independent of their baseline characteristics.</p>","PeriodicalId":19201,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Journal of Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149148113","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dropout from individual cognitive behavioral psychotherapy for schizophrenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.","authors":"Alberto Stefana, Stefano Damiani, Stefano Barlati, Elisa Bortolin, Matteo Cimberle, Nicoletta Cruciani, Aldo D'Imperio, Margherita Rovida, Riccardo Stefanelli, Paolo Fusar-Poli","doi":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2741177","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08039488.2026.2741177","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and hypothesis: </strong>Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a recommended psychological treatment for schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs), often delivered alongside pharmacotherapy, but dropout may limit its effectiveness. In this secondary analysis of a parent systematic review and meta-analysis focused on negative-symptom outcomes, we synthesized dropout among individual, face-to-face, outpatient CBT arms identified within that parent-review dataset. We investigated exploratory associations between dropout and arm-level sociodemographic, clinical, treatment-related, and study-design characteristics.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>This study was a secondary analysis of a comprehensive database from a recent systematic review and meta-analysis of treatments for SSDs, which searched PsycINFO and all Web of Knowledge databases. Eligible studies were randomized clinical trials that included at least one arm delivering in-person, individual CBT in outpatient settings and reported dropout. Thirteen studies, comprising 16 psychotherapy arms and 865 participants, met eligibility criteria. Random-effects models were used to estimate the pooled dropout rate, and mixed-effects meta-regression models were conducted to examine sociodemographic, clinical, treatment-related, and study-design moderators.</p><p><strong>Study results: </strong>Across this heterogeneous set of individual CBT arms, the pooled dropout estimate was approximately one in five participants, with substantial between-arm heterogeneity. Associations with available arm-level moderators were exploratory and should not be interpreted as causal or as evidence that a moderator has no effect when the analysis was underpowered.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This secondary analysis provides a descriptive estimate of dropout within the individual CBT arms retained by the parent review. The estimate is an average across heterogeneous studies and settings, and the moderator analyses are exploratory.</p>","PeriodicalId":19201,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Journal of Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":"1-7"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149149379","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale - a validation of the Danish translation to the English version.","authors":"Magnus Roland Balleby, Ann-Louise Bergström, Maj Vinberg, Mette Ødegaard Nielsen, Jimmi Nielsen","doi":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2735473","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08039488.2026.2735473","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Catatonia is a common neuropsychiatric syndrome comprising motor, behavioural, and affective symptoms. Catatonia is frequently underdiagnosed and may cause serious harm. A knowledge gap in recognising catatonia symptoms among clinicians has previously been demonstrated. The Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale (BFCRS) is the most widely used catatonia scale; it has strong inter-rater reliability and is easy to apply. No catatonia scale exists in Danish, and the aim of this study was to validate a Danish translation of the BFCRS.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The Danish version was made after forward and backward translation, independently by two pairs of researchers. Afterwards, disagreements were clarified at consensus meetings. First, the Danish version was validated against the original English version, which was considered the gold standard, as Denmark does not use ICD-11 or DSM. Two authors rated the patients with the Danish and the English versions interchangeably. Subsequently, inter-rater reliability was measured by researchers using only the Danish version. Validation and inter-rater reliability were calculated using Krippendorff's alpha.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 80 patients (60 for validation and 20 for inter-rater reliability) were included. Validation against the English version yielded 0.98 (0.95-0.99), and inter-rater reliability of the Danish BFCRS yielded 0.97 (0.95-0.99). Patients with catatonia (<i>n</i> = 38) had a median score of 8 (IQR 5.25-10.75) on the Danish BFCRS.</p><p><strong>Discussion/conclusion: </strong>The Danish version of the BFCRS demonstrated high validity and inter-rater reliability comparable to the original version of the BFCRS. The Danish BFCRS may improve recognition and timely diagnosis of catatonia, supporting better patient outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":19201,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Journal of Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":"1-7"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149167349","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predictors of post-electroconvulsive therapy delirium: a prospective randomized study from an Indian tertiary care centre.","authors":"Sonali Dagar, Vinod Kumar Daria, Usha Daria, Kuldeep Singh","doi":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2716243","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2716243","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Post-electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) delirium is a clinically important adverse effect occurring during early recovery following ECT. The objective of the study was to identify the predictors of early post-ECT delirium, including the role of thiopental, propofol and etomidate.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A prospective randomized parallel-group clinical trial was conducted in a tertiary care ECT unit between January 2023 and May 2024. Ninety adult patients undergoing ECT were randomly allocated into Propofol, Etomidate, and Thiopental anesthetic groups (<i>n</i> = 30 each). Participants were blinded to treatment allocation, whereas outcome assessors were not blinded. Delirium was assessed at 15 and 30 min following eye opening using the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU) together with the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS). Exploratory multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify predictors of delirium at 15 min. The study was prospectively registered with the Clinical Trials Registry-India (CTRI/2023/01/049228).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Early post-ECT delirium occurred in 65 patients (72.2%) at 15 minutes, whereas only 11 patients (12.2%) remained delirious at 30 min. Among patients with delirium at 15 min, 54 (83.1%) recovered by 30 min. Longer seizure duration remained independently associated with increased odds of delirium at 15 min (adjusted OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.04-1.18, <i>p</i> = 0.004). Compared with propofol, thiopental (OR = 0.04, 95% CI: CI:0.01-0.20, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and etomidate (OR = 0.06, 95% CI: CI:0.01-0.46, <i>p</i> = 0.008) demonstrated lower adjusted odds of delirium.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Early post-ECT delirium was common but predominantly transient during immediate recovery. Larger multicenter studies with longitudinal follow-up are required to confirm these findings.</p>","PeriodicalId":19201,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Journal of Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":"459-469"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148713387","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Real‑world implementation of rTMS for depression: a comparative study of Sweden and Japan.","authors":"Yoshihiro Noda, Johan Lundberg, Axel Nordenskjold, Robert Bodén","doi":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2723945","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2723945","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an evidence‑based intervention for major depressive disorder (MDD) and treatment‑resistant depression (TRD). This study compared the regulatory, organizational, and clinical implementation of rTMS in Sweden and Japan between 2020 and 2024 and assessed alignment with international consensus recommendations.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A cross‑sectional survey was conducted using publicly available information from rTMS‑providing facilities in both countries. Facilities confirming rTMS provision were included. Two investigators independently extracted facility‑level variables into a harmonized template covering service distribution, registry participation, stimulation protocols, device types, practitioner roles, eligibility criteria, reimbursement arrangements, and reported patient counts. Analyses were descriptive; financial variables were summarized to characterize access and were not part of a formal economic evaluation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Both countries primarily used rTMS for MDD/TRD, required psychiatric assessment, and applied similar safety exclusions. Sweden delivered rTMS within a tax‑funded regional system, with 29 centres in 2024 and near‑complete participation in a national registry integrated with electronic health records; intermittent theta‑burst stimulation (iTBS) predominated. Japan had a mixed public-private model with 112 facilities and partial registry participation (62/112). Public insurance in Japan covered only a 10‑Hz left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex protocol, whereas private clinics frequently offered iTBS. Workforce roles, device diversity, and patient co‑payments differed, with greater financial barriers reported in Japan.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Differences in health‑system structure and registry completeness likely explain observed variation. Findings may inform policymakers seeking to optimize neuromodulation services, strengthen monitoring systems, and reduce access inequities.</p>","PeriodicalId":19201,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Journal of Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":"479-488"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148831092","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Associations between social leisure activities and ADHD symptoms in a longitudinal community-based sample.","authors":"Mikko Salo, Tuula Hurtig, Tanja Nordström, Johanna Timonen, Anu-Helmi Halt","doi":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2714819","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2714819","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To examine the association of social leisure activities (SLA) and ADHD symptoms of adolescents in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 (NFBC1986). Our hypothesis is that higher SLA may be associated with lower ADHD symptoms.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>The study population consists of 4 478 participants from NFBC1986 who had data on prenatal risk factors, hyperactivity at 8 years of age, ADHD symptoms at 16 years of age, and SLA at 16 years of age. Hyperactivity at 8 years of age was assessed using the RutterB2 scale for teachers. ADHD symptoms at 16 years of age were assessed using the Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD Symptoms and Normal Behaviors (SWAN) rating scale completed by parents. The SLA at 16 years of age was divided into three categories, low, middle, and high, based on the social attributes of the adolescents' leisure activities. The associations between ADHD symptoms and SLA were evaluated using logistic regression analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>An association was found between high SLA and lower ADHD symptoms. Hyperactivity at 8 years of age and male sex were the associated with more ADHD symptoms, while higher SLA was linked to lower amount of ADHD symptoms.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our study suggests that SLA associate with decreased ADHD symptoms in a large community-based sample that accurately represents the Finnish youth. Further studies are required to extend our findings.</p>","PeriodicalId":19201,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Journal of Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":"439-446"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148713391","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Neurological soft signs in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia and their relationship with symptoms, premorbid adjustment, and functioning: a comparative study.","authors":"Sibel Elmas Yıldıran, Alp Üçok","doi":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2720107","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2720107","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and objectives: </strong>Motor alterations in schizophrenia are important because they provide measurable, objective parameters. Neurological soft signs (NSS) are minor motor and sensory deficits. The study aimed to compare NSS in treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) and non-TRS patients, their siblings, and healthy controls (HC), and to examine the associations of NSS with sociodemographic and clinical variables, premorbid adjustment, functioning, and negative and cognitive symptoms.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study included 30 TRS patients, 30 non-TRS patients, 37 healthy siblings of the patients, and 30 HC. Neurological Evaluation Scale (NES) was administered to all participants to assess NSS. Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Brief Negative Symptom Scale, Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), Clinical Global Impression-Severity Scale (CGI-S), Premorbid Adjustment Scale-Childhood (PAS), and a cognitive battery were administered to patients.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>NSS were higher in the combined TRS and non-TRS patient group than in the sibling group, and higher in the sibling group than in HC. TRS patients had higher NES-Total, NES-Sensory Integration, and NES-Other Signs scores than non-TRS. NES-Total score was negatively correlated with GAF score and positively correlated with BPRS, CGI-S, and PAS-childhood. Poorer performance on cognitive tests assessing processing speed, working memory, and set-shifting was associated with more NSS.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>NSS were associated with greater illness severity, lower functioning, poorer premorbid adjustment, and reduced performance in processing speed, working memory, and set-shifting. Our findings suggest that there may be an association between NSS and treatment resistance in schizophrenia.</p>","PeriodicalId":19201,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Journal of Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":"470-478"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148796017","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating patient-controlled admissions in adolescent psychiatric care: a quantitative study.","authors":"Sanne Lemcke, Tirill Fjellhaugen, Anders Helles Carlsen, Jacob Klærke, Martin Nygaard Hansen, Anne Virring Sørensen","doi":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2708721","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2708721","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>An agreement on Patient-Controlled Admissions (PCA) is enabling patients to initiate at brief inpatient stay, on their own initiative, outside the existing referral system, at a well-known ward. PCA has mostly been studied in adult psychiatry, and the purpose of the current study is to describe the effect of PCA in a naturalistic setting in a psychiatric adolescent ward in Denmark.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Patients with several admissions and coercion were offered the possibility of a PCA and enrolled in the study when signing the contract. Information from electronic patient records was compared on outpatient contacts, admissions (both voluntary and compulsory), inpatient days, and prescribed medication from one year prior to signing the contract to a fixed date in March 2023.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 27 patients (25 females) aged 15-20 years with different main diagnoses were included in the study. They were followed for an average of 630 days. Outpatient contacts and admissions were significantly reduced, IRR 0.7 (95% CI 0.6;0.8) and 0.8 (95% CI 0.6;0.9) respectively. Also, compulsory admissions were reduced by IRR 0.3 (95% CI 0.2;0.5) and inpatient days by 0.6 (95% CI 0.5;0.7). Furthermore, the analyses showed a tendency towards a reduction in prescribed psychotropic medication both daily and as-needed.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The PCA had a positive effect on the adolescents' needs for both outpatient contacts and admissions. PCA is an effective intervention for some adolescent patients, but it is crucial that it is accomplished in close collaboration with the patients, their relatives, and the outpatient services.</p>","PeriodicalId":19201,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Journal of Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":"433-438"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148766302","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}