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.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 105-122 |
| Number of pages | 18 |
| Journal | Child and Youth Care Forum |
| Volume | 52 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 2023 |
Funding
The authors would like to acknowledge Dr. David Shaffer for his wisdom and forward thinking about the impact of anxiety disorders on the development of high-risk behaviors such as self-harm, suicidal behaviors, and other profound impairments in functioning. This paper serves as a tribute to his prolific contributions to the field of child psychiatry broadly and the NYP Youth Anxiety Center specifically, without which this work would not have be possible. This work is supported by the New York Presbyterian Youth Anxiety Center. It could not have been completed without the efforts of our research and clinical team, with special acknowledgement to Kerian Beckford, B.A., Debra Faecher, LCSW, Shannon Gasparro, B.A., Justin Mohatt, M.D., Jaleesa Payne, M.B.A., Jenna Rosenberg Wolfson, L.C.S.W., Jessica Simberlund, M.D., Heather Stanish, N.P.P. and Khadijah Watkins, M.D., as well as former and current postdoctoral fellows, Corinne Catarozoli, Ph.D., Avital Falk, Ph.D., Stephanie Rohrig, Ph.D., Laura Skriner, Ph.D., Paul Sullivan, Ph.D., Andrea Temkin, Psy.D. and Elaina Zendegui, Psy.D. We would also like to acknowledge the patients and families whose participation made this work possible.
Keywords
- Acute care
- Adolescence
- Anxiety
- Symptom severity
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
- Life-span and Life-course Studies