Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Consultation to Pediatric Inpatients at Hua Hin Hospital between 2011-2021

Abstract

Abstract

Background: Consultation-Liaison psychiatry is the consultation service provided for a patient with a physical illness and possibly with a psychiatric problem(s) as well. This is because child and adolescent patients bear higher risks of psychiatric problem(s) than normal child and adolescent do. However, there are few studies on child and adolescent consultation-liaison psychiatry in Thailand, most of them are conducted in major medical schools.

Objective: The aim of this study is to collect the socio-demographic data as well as the prevalence of psychiatric diagnosis among the hospitalized child and adolescent patients at the Psychiatric and Addiction Department, Hua Hin Hospital between June 2011 and December 2021. The data collection also includes the patients’ symptoms; reasons for referral to psychiatric consultation; the compatibility of diagnosis between the referring doctors and psychiatrists; as well as the patterns of treatments; and follow-up treatment after hospital discharge. The results of the study will be used to improve the psychiatric service at Hua Hin Hospital.

          Method: The retrospective study has been conducted among hospitalized patients consulted at the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Unit, the Psychiatric and Addiction Department between June 2011 and December 2021. The data analysis is made by using percentage and average.

          Results: One hundred and eighteen patients were totally referred to the Child and Adolescent Unit between June 2011 and December 2021.  There were 39 male, and 79 female patients. Their average age was 11.8 years old. The majority age group was 14 years old.  Referrals made by the Pediatric Department were of the highest percentage (66.1%).  The main reason for referrals was to assure proper treatment (72.9%). In most cases (72.9%), the patients’ symptoms were described without any specific psychiatric diagnosis. The most common psychiatric diagnosis was “adjustment disorder” (37 patients, 31.4%). Most of the patients (94.1%) received psychiatric diagnosis.  Whereas, 5.9% (7 patients) did not receive a psychiatric diagnosis. The study has revealed that all the patients received non-pharmacological treatments. While, 45.8% (54 patients) received pharmacological treatments. After being discharged, 62.5% of patients came back for follow-up consultation.

Conclusion: Child and adolescent psychiatric consultation is an important part of the treatment plan among hospitalized child and adolescent patients. It will not only help decrease the severity of patients’ distress but also increase quality of their lives as well as preventing further psychiatric problems. The most common problem among the patients were adjustment disorder that needs the holistic treatment approach including pharmacological and psycho-social treatments together with follow-up care after hospital discharge.

Keywords: Child and adolescent psychiatric consultation-liaison, prevalent of psychiatric disorder, chief complaint, psychiatric treatment