Multicomponent Treatment in a Day Hospital for Adolescents: A Case of Good Practice

Abstract

The dynamics of adolescence require adjustments in psychiatric treatment because of the challenges of this developmental stage in life. This column describes the Day Hospital for Adolescents (DHA) of the Institute of Mental Health in Belgrade, Serbia, which was established in December 2007. The DHA is a holistic program for the treatment of youths ages 15-25 with emotional disorders. The multicomponent therapeutic program includes individual treatment, several group therapeutic activities, and work with patients' families and the school system. An evaluation of data obtained for 102 patients indicated that DHA treatment was associated with significant reductions in depression symptom severity and improved functioning. The adolescents reported a high level of treatment satisfaction. The results suggest that a multicomponent day hospital is an effective treatment modality for adolescents with emotional disorders.

Efficacy of Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Adolescents in a Partial Hospitalization Program

“…Review of the empirical literature evaluating non‐DBT‐A PHPs indicated a proclivity among PHP program directors to use the systemic nature of a milieu to accomplish psychodynamic therapy goals, which are reinforced through social learning (Bradic et al, ; Goldstein et al, ; Kennair, Mellor, & Brann, ; Lenz, Del Conte, Lancaster, Bailey, & Vanderpool, ; Preddy, Musella, Parade, Walters, & Hunt, ). Some of these approaches to treating clients’ mental health symptoms have a singular pronounced therapeutic identity, such as cognitive behavior therapy (Bradic et al, ; McHugh et al, ), and the predominant trend among published studies was to implement an eclectic approach featuring many types of interventions across several modalities. Generally speaking, these approaches are eclectic in nature and feature many intervention types across several modalities of treatment.…”

“…Generally speaking, these approaches are eclectic in nature and feature many intervention types across several modalities of treatment. For example, some authors have reported a statistically significant treatment effect for programs featuring use of assertiveness training, art and music therapy, social skills development, behavioral planning, and psychodrama workshops (Bradic et al, ; Kennair et al, ; Lenz et al, ). These interventions have been delivered within multiple modalities, including individual, group, and family‐based interventions, to promote the development and generalization of skill use within the context of a systems‐informed milieu (Goldstein et al, ; Preddy et al, ).…”

Sharing information and liking behavior on social networks in relation to depression and anxiety in adolescence

“…Dominiranje simptoma depresivnosti i anksioznosti kod adolescenata koji se leče u uslovima parcijalne psihijatrijske dnevne hospitalizacije je višestruko dokumentovan podatak [19]. Iako su depresija i anksioznost označeni kao zasebni dijagnostički entiteti, postoji značajno preklapanje između ove dve kategorije kako u pogledu fenomenologije, komorbiditeta bioloških markera tako i u pogledu tretmana [20].…”