High Rates of Anxiety Among Adolescents in a Partial Hospitalization Program

Abstract

Background Anxiety disorders are garnering increasing attention for their contribution to high-risk issues and functional impairment. Adolescents are typically admitted to partial hospitalization programs (PHPs) due to high-risk presentations. However, the frequency of anxiety disorders in PHPs is not well-established, in part because anxiety can be overlooked in acute settings due to limited lengths of stay and focus on stabilization. Objective This study aims to evaluate the frequency and severity of anxiety disorders among a sample of adolescent PHP patients to assess the need for anxiety-specific assessment and interventions in higher acuity settings. Methods Participants were 158 youths ages 13 to 19 years old ( M = 15.49 years, SD = 1.50) who were admitted to an adolescent PHP and their caregivers. Clinician-reported diagnostic information was collected from the youth’s electronic medical record, and self- and caregiver-rated severity of anxiety was collected using the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotions Disorders (SCARED-C/P). Frequency of anxiety and related disorder diagnoses and self- and caregiver-reported severity were assessed using descriptive statistical methods. Results 75% of participants were diagnosed with an anxiety disorder (n = 118). On average, participants with anxiety disorders had elevated SCARED-C scores. Youths with depressive disorders had elevated SCARED-C scores even when they did not carry anxiety disorder diagnoses. Caregiver ratings of the youth’s anxiety symptoms on the SCARED-P were elevated when youths had anxiety disorders. Conclusions These findings suggest that anxiety is common in an adolescent PHP setting and support investing in evidence-based assessment and treatment of anxiety in high-acuity settings.

Considerations for implementing evidence-based practices for youth anxiety in an acute psychiatric care setting.

“…Although the PHP does not have programming to address eating disorders or substance abuse/dependence as primary diagnoses, it is able to support adolescents who are concurrently struggling with substance abuse or disordered eating. A medical record review of 158 patients enrolled in this PHP, Pelcovitz et al (in press) found that the mean age was 15.49 years old, the majority of patients (64.1%) were female and non-Hispanic (75.7%). In this sample, 60.6% of patients were Caucasian and 12.0% self-identified as belonging to more than one race.…”

Parents’ Participation in Atraumatic Care During Children Hospitalization: Systematic Review

“…According to research, 63% of children who were hospitalized reported pain, and 29% of those children had pain before they were admitted (Cardona et al, 2019). Most people (82%) who are hospitalized experience extreme anxiety (Bajpai et al, 2017), and 75% are determined to have anxiety disorder (Pelcovitz et al, 2023). The primary driver of this high nervousness is insufficient atraumatic care because of the absence of parental inclusion or support.…”