Short-term efficacy of interventions by a youth crisis team

Résumé

Examined the impact of an outpatient psychiatric Emergency Room Follow-up Team (ERFUT) on the hospitalization rate of youth in crisis (mostly suicidal adolescents). The rate of psychiatric admissions of youth to a general pediatric hospital during a year prior to the ERFUT creation was compared to that same rate after the team's creation. The proportion of Ss returning to the Emergency Room (ER) 2 or more times was also compared for those same years. A 16% reduction in the hospitalization rate followed the team's creation, without an increase in the proportion of Ss returning to the ER. None of the experimental group Ss had died at 3-yr follow-up. There is a subpopulation of previously hospitalized suicidal adolescents who can be effectively cared for as outpatients when treated rapidly and intensively. Two case reports are presented for illustration. (French abstract) INTERVENTION-CRISE ÉVALUATION ADOLESCENT HÔPITAL