Psychiatric Treatment Outcomes of Preschool Children in a Family Day Hospital

• Published in: Child psychiatry and human development 2015-04, Vol.46 (2), p.257-269
• Main Authors: Müller, Jörg Michael, Averbeck-Holocher, Marlies, Romer, Georg, Fürniss, Tilman, Achtergarde, Sandra, Postert, Christian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Anxiety Disorders; Behavior Rating Scales; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Check Lists; Child & adolescent psychiatry; Child and School Psychology; Child Behavior; Child, Preschool; Clinical outcomes; Day Care, Medical - methods; Emotional Problems; Etiology; Family (Sociological Unit); Female; Females; Gender Differences; Germany; Hospitals; Hospitals, Psychiatric; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Males; Mental disorders; Mental Disorders - therapy; Mental Health; Mothers; Original Article; Outcomes of Treatment; Parents; Preschool children; Psychiatric Services; Psychiatry; Psychology; Psychopathology; Psychotherapy - methods; Resistance (Psychology); Teaching Methods; Treatment Outcome; Young Children
• ISSN: 0009-398X; 1573-3327
• DOI: 10.1007/s10578-014-0465-3

This study describes the treatment outcomes of preschoolers with severe mental health problems who were treated at the child psychiatric family day hospital for preschool children in Münster, Germany. The eclectic multi-modal treatment combines behavioral and psychodynamic techniques for both parents and children in various settings within an intermittent attendance structure provided by a multi-disciplinary team. This study evaluated 185 children with the Caregiver-Teacher Report Form (C-TRF/1.5–5), which was completed by therapists, and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/1.5–5), which was completed by mothers, at admission and discharge. The mothers’ ratings of their children were statistically adjusted for the distortion caused by their own psychopathology. After treatment, the patients showed significant improvement on the C-TRF/CBCL Total Problem score with an average Cohen’s d  = −0.50 based on therapists’ ratings, d  = −0.97 for the non-adjusted maternal ratings, and d  = −0.68 for the adjusted maternal ratings. We conclude that specialized family day hospitals may successfully treat preschool psychiatric patients.