Moderators and Predictors of the Clinical Outcome After Hospitalization

Objective: Objective: This study aims at determining the influence of several predictors and moderators of the clinical outcome following a hospitalization in a child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS).Method: Method: The sample included 297 patients aged from 12 to 18 years.Patients and clinicians used the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales for Children and Adolescents (HoNOSCA) to rate clinical outcomes (i.e., symptoms and psychosocial difficulties).Results: Results: Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that patient alliance (p=0.003),social functioning (p<0.001), and parental cooperation (p=0.008) were significant predictors of the clinical outcome.Moreover, gender (associated with pretreatment symptom severity; p= 0.019), parental cooperation (p=0.036) and stressful life events (SLE; associated with social functioning; p=0.003) moderated the clinical outcomes significantly.Higher patient alliance was related to lower symptoms and less psychosocial difficulties at discharge.In boys, lower parental cooperation and higher pretreatment symptoms severity were related to more symptoms and psychosocial difficulties at discharge.Finally, in youths exposed to several SLEs, social functioning had no influence on symptoms and psychosocial difficulties at discharge.Conclusions: Conclusions: This study identified patient alliance, gender and SLEs as explaining factors of the clinical outcomes following the hospitalization in a CAMHS.Theses results could help clinicians to improve treatment strategies by allowing personalized care.