Unraveling clinical profiles and predictive factors of length of stay in hospitalized children and adolescents in mental health services

Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical characteristics of pediatric and adolescent patients admitted to the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Inpatient Service, to retrospectively evaluate their length of stay, recurrent admissions, and treatment processes, and to identify factors predicting the duration of hospitalization.Materials and methods: In this study, data from 512 children and adolescents aged 5-18 years, admitted to the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Inpatient Service between 01.01.2016 and 01.09.2024, were retrospectively reviewed and collected from hospital records and patient files.Results: It was observed that 66% of the hospitalized patients were female, with depressive disorder being the most common diagnosis. The most frequently prescribed medication was antipsychotics, followed by antidepressants, and approximately one-third of the patients were using multiple antipsychotics. In patients who received Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), the use of mood stabilizers, anxiolytics, and combinations of antipsychotics and mood stabilizers was significantly higher. Similarly, in patients who received Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) treatment, the use of SNRIs and multiple antipsychotics was higher. Factors predicting longer length of stay included the use of antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, multiple medications of the same class (multiple antipsychotics and antidepressants), and the administration of advanced treatments such as ECT and TMS.Conclusion: In cases where children and adolescents are prescribed antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and particularly multiple antipsychotics and antidepressants, the timely implementation of treatment protocols such as ECT and TMS may be effective in reducing the length of hospitalization and mitigating prolonged inpatient stays.