Reconciliations with Parents as a Treatment Goal for Adolescents in an Acute Care Psychiatric Hospital

Adolescents admitted to a psychiatric hospital frequently experience intense anger towards their parents and are often estranged from them. This reflects the problem both patient and parents have coping with the developmental task of separation and individuation. The authors discuss the importance of treatment to achieve reconciliation in order to facilitate the adolescents' move toward autonomy. The article describes the favorable environment and opportunities for intervention provided in an acute care hospital setting to meet such a goal.