Internalized stigma and traumatizing effects of psychiatric hospitalization in adolescents: Is there any difference between being hospitalized in adult or adolescent inpatient psychiatric services?

Psychiatric hospitalization serves as a critical treatment modality. However, hospitalization may pose risks of traumatization or stigma. This study primarily examined the internalized stigma and traumatizing effects of psychiatric hospitalization on adolescents. Additionally, the treatment of adolescents within adult inpatient psychiatric services may yield differing stigmatization and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology. Hence, the secondary objective was to discern the variance in stigmatization and PTSD symptoms between adolescents treated in adult inpatient psychiatric services (AIPS) and those in child and adolescent inpatient psychiatric services (CAIPS).