Psychiatric Emergency in Children and Adolescents: A Retrospective Study in Parma Local Health Unit

The mental health care system in Italy is based on Law 180/70 which leaves great regional autonomy about the management of adolescent patients suffering from psychiatric diseases. The aim of this study is the evaluation of demographic, social, and clinical features of minors admitted to psychiatric...

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Main Authors: Michela Deolmi, Emanuela Claudia Turco, Pietro Pellegrini, Carlo Marchesi, Francesco Pisani
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021-01-01
Series:Behavioural Neurology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/8848387
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author Michela Deolmi
Emanuela Claudia Turco
Pietro Pellegrini
Carlo Marchesi
Francesco Pisani
author_facet Michela Deolmi
Emanuela Claudia Turco
Pietro Pellegrini
Carlo Marchesi
Francesco Pisani
author_sort Michela Deolmi
collection DOAJ
description The mental health care system in Italy is based on Law 180/70 which leaves great regional autonomy about the management of adolescent patients suffering from psychiatric diseases. The aim of this study is the evaluation of demographic, social, and clinical features of minors admitted to psychiatric wards, as starting point to improve individualized services for them. Data about all under 18s consecutively admitted to Parma’s psychiatric wards from 2013 to 2015 were retrospectively collected from medical records. Diagnoses were classified according to ICD-10 criteria, and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS statistical software (IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0) for Windows. Clinical samples include 51 cases, 30 males (mean age: 15.5 years, ranging from 12 to 17 years) and 21 females (mean age: 15.9, ranging from 14 to 17 years). The most frequent diagnosis is conduct disorder (39.2%), with higher prevalence among males. Following this, 23.5% of the patients present comorbidity issues and 9.8% suffer from personality disorders, which is more frequent among females. High percentages of foreigners (31.4%), adopted minors (15.7%), and drug users (40%) are reported. Furthermore, data reveal that unprotective family environment, registered in 80.4% of cases, plays an important role as risk factor for the development of mental disease, readmissions in psychiatric wards, and discharge to residential facilities. Readmissions, as well as compulsory treatments (11 cases), are mainly required in case of conduct disorders and comorbidity diagnosis. Lastly, in contrast with the situation before hospital admission, most patients (63.3%) are discharged and sent to community residential facilities. Findings can be useful to improve the management of psychiatric emergencies in minors, focusing on their specific needs, such as conduct disorders and substance abuse, and to face emerging challenges, for example, mental health disease associated with the growing phenomenon of immigration.
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spelling doaj-art-d57bdbaf802d4c9789d67b20f6351fa92025-08-20T03:19:47ZengWileyBehavioural Neurology0953-41801875-85842021-01-01202110.1155/2021/88483878848387Psychiatric Emergency in Children and Adolescents: A Retrospective Study in Parma Local Health UnitMichela Deolmi0Emanuela Claudia Turco1Pietro Pellegrini2Carlo Marchesi3Francesco Pisani4Pediatric Unit, Medicine & Surgery Department, University of Parma, Parma 43126, ItalyChild Neuropsychiatry Unit, University Hospital of Parma, 43126, ItalyDepartment of Mental Health and Pathological Addiction, Azienda USL di Parma, Parma 43126, ItalyPsychiatry Unit, Medicine & Surgery Department, University of Parma, Parma 43126, ItalyChild Neuropsychiatry Unit, Medicine & Surgery Department, University of Parma, Parma 43126, ItalyThe mental health care system in Italy is based on Law 180/70 which leaves great regional autonomy about the management of adolescent patients suffering from psychiatric diseases. The aim of this study is the evaluation of demographic, social, and clinical features of minors admitted to psychiatric wards, as starting point to improve individualized services for them. Data about all under 18s consecutively admitted to Parma’s psychiatric wards from 2013 to 2015 were retrospectively collected from medical records. Diagnoses were classified according to ICD-10 criteria, and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS statistical software (IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0) for Windows. Clinical samples include 51 cases, 30 males (mean age: 15.5 years, ranging from 12 to 17 years) and 21 females (mean age: 15.9, ranging from 14 to 17 years). The most frequent diagnosis is conduct disorder (39.2%), with higher prevalence among males. Following this, 23.5% of the patients present comorbidity issues and 9.8% suffer from personality disorders, which is more frequent among females. High percentages of foreigners (31.4%), adopted minors (15.7%), and drug users (40%) are reported. Furthermore, data reveal that unprotective family environment, registered in 80.4% of cases, plays an important role as risk factor for the development of mental disease, readmissions in psychiatric wards, and discharge to residential facilities. Readmissions, as well as compulsory treatments (11 cases), are mainly required in case of conduct disorders and comorbidity diagnosis. Lastly, in contrast with the situation before hospital admission, most patients (63.3%) are discharged and sent to community residential facilities. Findings can be useful to improve the management of psychiatric emergencies in minors, focusing on their specific needs, such as conduct disorders and substance abuse, and to face emerging challenges, for example, mental health disease associated with the growing phenomenon of immigration.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/8848387
spellingShingle Michela Deolmi
Emanuela Claudia Turco
Pietro Pellegrini
Carlo Marchesi
Francesco Pisani
Psychiatric Emergency in Children and Adolescents: A Retrospective Study in Parma Local Health Unit
Behavioural Neurology
title Psychiatric Emergency in Children and Adolescents: A Retrospective Study in Parma Local Health Unit
title_full Psychiatric Emergency in Children and Adolescents: A Retrospective Study in Parma Local Health Unit
title_fullStr Psychiatric Emergency in Children and Adolescents: A Retrospective Study in Parma Local Health Unit
title_full_unstemmed Psychiatric Emergency in Children and Adolescents: A Retrospective Study in Parma Local Health Unit
title_short Psychiatric Emergency in Children and Adolescents: A Retrospective Study in Parma Local Health Unit
title_sort psychiatric emergency in children and adolescents a retrospective study in parma local health unit
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/8848387
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