A Psychiatric Adolescent Inpatient Unit in Gauteng: Clinical Profile and Length of Admission

Abstract

Background: Mood, anxiety, behavioral, and substance use disorders are common among adolescents, contributing to 15% of the global disease burden. Aim: To determine the sociodemographic and clinical profiles, treatment interventions, and length of stay (LOS) of adolescents admitted to Tara Hospital’s Adolescent Inpatient Unit (AIU), and to explore associations between these variables and LOS. Setting: Tara Hospital is a tertiary psychiatric facility in Johannesburg, South Africa, providing specialised inpatient and outpatient mental health services. Methods: A retrospective review of adolescent (ages 13-18) admissions to the AIU between 2012–2014. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics Results: Most adolescents were male (65%), in high school (83%), enrolled in mainstream schooling (76.7%) and referred from the public healthcare system (76.7%). Mood disorders were the most common diagnoses (60%), with major depressive disorder accounting for 33.3%, followed by anxiety disorders (26.7%). Academic difficulties (78.3%) and parent-child conflict (70%) were the most common stressors. Mean LOS was 61.1 days (SD=43.4, range 8-276). Significant associations with LOS (p<0.05) were found for conduct disorder, substance use disorder, parental conflict and parental separation/divorce. All patients received pharmacological treatment, mainly antidepressants, as well as psychosocial interventions from multidisciplinary team. Conclusion: Mood disorders predominated in this sample, with high rates of psychiatric comorbidities and psychological stressors. Contribution: The study identified clinical variables influencing LOS. Further South African research is recommended to examine how these factors relate to outcomes and clinical improvement.