This article describes attempts by an inpatient unit, treating adolescents with developmental delays and with severe psychiatric disturbances, to reduce its use of physical restraints. This restraint reduction process involved two phases: (1) assessment and (2) systems intervention. The assessment phase consisted of extensive observations of staff response to patient crises, staff interviews, patient interviews, and the development of a data-tracking system for restraint and seclusion (R/S) usage. Multiple contributing factors were identified during the assessment phase that increased R/S usage. The second phase, organizational and clinical intervention, included staff education and training, treatment interventions, and system changes aimed at reducing R/S usage. R/S reduction data over the course of the project are presented.
The current paper describes the prevalence of psychiatric diagnoses in a large sample (n = 150) of adolescents with developmental disabilities who were hospitalized for inpatient psychiatric treatment. Differential diagnoses made during their inpatient stay in a specialty unit for the assessment and treatment of dually diagnosed adolescents are presented and contrasted with longitudinal/historical data on these same patients' diagnoses prior to admission. Results indicate that these individuals received a wide spectrum of diagnoses during their adolescent years. The paper offers indirect support that correctly diagnosing psychiatric conditions is often challenging in adolescents with developmental disabilities. Factors related to diagnostic complexity and misdiagnoses (false positives and false negatives) are discussed. Longitudinal data on psychotropic medication usage for these individuals are also presented.
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