Electronic Device Utilization, Bullying, School Experiences, and Discharge Destination of Youth Admitted to an Inpatient Unit for Psychiatric Illness

ABSTRACT The rate of admission to treatment facilities for psychiatric illness in youth is rising. There is also concern for their use of screen-time behaviors. The purpose of the present study was to explore hospitalized youth ratings for their utilization of social media and electronic devices, and their school experiences including bullying, and to compare their ratings to the provincial norm. The discharge plans were also examined. A survey with standardized questions taken from a provincial survey was administered while youth were in hospital. The mean age of the 111 youth who participated was 15.3 years (SD 1.4), and 78 (70%) identified as female. A high percentage of youth reported five or more hours of daily social media use, being bullied and bullying others; 57% reported a moderate to severe problem with digital media use. Adolescent patients reported greater problematic behaviors than the average adolescent. An unexpected finding was that many patients were discharged from the hospital to residential treatment programs. Youth reported many concerns with bullying, high use of electronics and poor school experiences. Many patients were discharged to specialized community residential treatment programs, which can be seen as essential components for the continuity of mental health treatment.