Admissions to acute adolescent psychiatric units: a prospective study of clinical severity and outcome

Table 4 Mental health outcomes.

	Percentage with score 3 or 4		Test of differences (intake-discharge)^b
HoNOSCA scales	At intake	At discharge^a	P ^c
1. Disruptive, aggressive problem	24%	7%	< 0.001**
2. Overactive, attention difficulty	33%	18%	0.001**
3. Self-injury	38%	9%	< 0.001**
4. Alcohol, drug misuse	14%	2%	< 0.001**
5. Scholastic or language skills problem	19%	19%	1.000
6. Physical illness, disability	7%	4%	0.180
7. Hallucinations, delusions	29%	16%	0.001**
8. Psychosomatic problem	10%	3%	0.012*
9. Emotional symptoms	82%	54%	< 0.001**
10. Peer relationship problem	44%	29%	< 0.001**
11. Self-care, independence problem	16%	13%	0.388
12. Family problem	48%	37%	0.021*
13. Poor school attendance	37%	13%	< 0.001**
	Mean (SD)
HoNOSCA total score (sum scale 1-13)	18.7 (6.3)	13.6 (7.1)	< 0.001**

Outcomes, as the change in mental health from intake to discharge, of the patients (N = 136) who were admitted for more than three days. The percentages of patients with score 3 (moderate problem) or score 4 (severe/very severe problem) on each HoNOSCA scale and the mean (SD) HoNOSCA total scores.
^a Median number of days between scores was 15 days (minimum four days and maximum 351 days).
^b Scale 1-13: based on the McNemar two related samples test. HoNOSCA total score: based on paired t tests: t = 9.5; d.f. = 135.
^c We did not correct the P values for multiple comparisons.
* P < 0.05; ** P < 0.01.

ISSN: 1752-4458