Capturing the impact of adolescent inpatient admissions: The Social Connectedness Scale

Background: Outcome measurement is central to health service provision. In child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), there are established tools used to assess symptoms and track progress. However, there is a relative dearth of assessments of subjective well-being or recovery. Social conn...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinical child psychology and psychiatry 2019-07, Vol.24 (3), p.631-641
Main Authors: Phillips, Katy, Lawler Whatson, Bridie, Wells, Emma, Milson, Gordon, Hartley, Samantha
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adolescent Health Services
Adolescents
Child & adolescent mental health
Child & adolescent psychiatry
Clinical medicine
Connectedness
Evaluation
Humans
Inpatient care
Inpatients
Measurement
Measures
Mental Disorders - therapy
Mental health
Mental Health Services
Outcome Assessment, Health Care
Patient Admission
Patient admissions
Psychological distress
Recovery
Self report
Social Networking
Well being
Youth
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Summary:Background: Outcome measurement is central to health service provision. In child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), there are established tools used to assess symptoms and track progress. However, there is a relative dearth of assessments of subjective well-being or recovery. Social connectedness is a concept linked with well-being and risk in young people. We sought to evaluate the utility and acceptability of a measure of social connectedness in inpatient CAMHS. Method: As part of routine clinical practice, we asked 92 young people (mean age 16 years old) on two inpatient CAMHS wards to complete the Social Connectedness Scale, alongside other assessments, and also comment on its acceptability. We repeated the measure on discharge from the unit. Results: The findings showed that the measure was internally consistent (α = .910) and sensitive to change in this population. Scores also correlated with another self-report measure focusing on well-being and mental distress, but not with clinician-rated measures. Ratings of relevance and ease of understanding were reasonable and young people value social connection. Conclusion: The Social Connectedness Scale might offer an appropriate method of exploring this element of young peoples’ experience and progress, as part of inpatient mental health admissions.
ISSN:1359-1045
1461-7021
DOI:10.1177/1359104518807745