Abstract
A behavioral rating scale, the Devereux Child Behavior Scale, was used to assess change in 55 children who were patients in a child psychiatric inpatient unit for an average of 3.9 months. The children were rated by unit staff on admission and at discharge, and by their parents prior to admission and at three and six months after discharge. The ratings indicate that the children did make statistically significant positive behavioral changes while in the hospital and that they continued to change up to six months post-discharge. Staff tended to rate the children as less disturbed than the parents but both groups of raters indicated significant change by their ratings.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Moultrie MB and Carek DJ: Short term inpatient treatment of children and adolescents.The Journal of the South Carolina Medical Association 79 (1): 30–3, 1983.
Winsberg BG, Bialer I, Kupietz S et al: Home vs hospital care of children with behavior disorders.Archives of General Psychiatry 37 (4): 413–8, 1980.
McConnell MM and Geddes G: Evaluation of an assessment and training unit for developmentally delayed children.New Zealand Medical Journal 92 (666): 161–4, 1980.
Schaefer CE and Millman HL: The use of behavior ratings in assessing the effect of residential treatment with latency age boys.Child Psychiatry and Human Development 3 (3): 157–64, 1973.
Schain RJ, Gardella D and Pon J: Five-year outcome of children admitted to a state mental hospital.Hospital & Community Psychiatry, 33 (10): 874–8, 1982.
Fineberg BL, Sowards SK and Kettlewell PW: Adolescent inpatient treatment: a literature review.Adolescence 15 (60): 913–25, 1980.
Gossett JT, Barnhart FD, Lewis JM, et al: Follow-up of adolescents treated in a psychiatric hospital: measurement of outcome.Southern Medical Journal 73 (4): 459–66, 1980.
Guy ME and Moore S: The goal attainment scale for psychiatric inpatients.Quality Review Bulletin 8 (6): 19–29, 1982.
Machalow R: Review of the literature: follow-up psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents.Adolescence 17 (68): 789–99, 1982.
Welner A, Welner Z and Fishman R: Psychiatric adolescent inpatients.Archives of General Psychiatry 36 (6): 689–700, 1979.
Spivack G and Spotts J:Devereux Child Behavior Rating Scale Manual, Devon, Pa., Devereux Foundation, 1966.
Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry:Psychopathological Disorders in Childhood: Theoretical Considerations and A Proposed Classification, New York, Mental Health Materials Center, Inc., 1966.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This research was supported in part by a grant from the Honolulu Chamber of Commerce, Public Health Fund.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Waldron, J.A., Nurius, P.S. Assessment of behavioral change in a child psychiatric inpatient program. Child Psych Hum Dev 15, 121–132 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00706168
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00706168