Journal of Psychiatry

New Diagnostic Framework and Effectiveness in Youth Psychiatric Care

Martinez Jackson^* Department of Psychiatry, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
^*Correspondence: Martinez Jackson, Department of Psychiatry, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America, Email:

Received: 04-Jul-2023, Manuscript No. JOP-23-22421; Editor assigned: 07-Jul-2023, Pre QC No. JOP-23-22421 (PQ); Reviewed: 21-Jul-2023, QC No. JOP-23-22421; Revised: 28-Jul-2023, Manuscript No. JOP-23-22421 (R); Published: 04-Aug-2023, DOI: 10.35248/2378-5756.23.26.617

Description

Youth psychiatry is a branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders in children and adolescents. Youth psychiatry is important because mental health problems can affect the development, well-being, and functioning of young people, as well as their families and communities. However, not all young people who need psychiatric care receive it, and not all who receive it benefit from it.

Therefore, it is essential to identify the factors that influence the access, utilization, and outcome of youth psychiatric care. One of the factors that may affect the access and utilization of youth psychiatric care is the availability and quality of services. There is a lack of evidence on the effectiveness of different psychotherapeutic interventions for various mental disorders in young people. Moreover, there is a need for more research on the predictors and moderators of treatment outcome, such as demographic, environmental, clinical, and therapeutic variables. The authors propose a protocol for conducting systematic reviews on these topics, which may help to inform clinical practice and policy making.

Another factor that may influence the outcome of youth psychiatric care is the type and severity of mental disorder. Some studies have examined the predictors of admission to acute inpatient psychiatric care among young people with mental health problems. Analyzed data from Medicaid beneficiaries aged 6 years to 18 years in Florida and found that clinical factors were the strongest predictors of hospitalization. Youths with mood, disruptive and psychotic disorder diagnoses were more likely than other mental health beneficiaries to experience one or more acute inpatient psychiatric admissions.

Similarly, some studies have explored the predictors of treatment outcome in adolescent depression, which is one of the most common and debilitating mental disorders in young people. For instance, the reviewed literature on demographic, environmental, clinical, and therapeutic predictors and moderators are the depression outcomes in adolescence. They found that none of the potential predictors have been consistently replicated to warrant implementation in clinical care. They suggested that future research should focus on identifying subgroups of depressed adolescents who may benefit from different types or intensities of treatment.

A third factor that may affect the outcome of youth psychiatric care is the history and context of maltreatment. Many young people who receive psychiatric care have experienced abuse or neglect in their childhood, which may have lasting effects on their mental health and development. For example, the examined predictor of mental health diagnoses among youth in psychiatric residential treatment facilities in Kentucky. They found that demographic characteristics were more predictive of diagnoses than family risk factors and maltreatment types.

However, maltreatment types were associated with two diagnoses- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). A final challenge in youth psychiatry is the integration and coordination of care across different sectors and settings. Young people with mental disorders may have complex and diverse needs that require the involvement of multiple professionals and agencies, such as health, education, social care, justice, and voluntary sectors.

However, there may be gaps and inconsistencies in the provision and quality of care across these sectors and settings, which may affect the continuity and effectiveness of care. Therefore, it is essential to establish and implement models of integrated and coordinated care for young people with mental disorders. For example, the development and implementation of headspace, a national youth mental health initiative in Australia provides integrated and coordinated care for young people aged 12 years to 25 years with mental health problems.

Conclusion

Youth psychiatry is a vital field that aims to improve the mental health and well-being of young people with mental disorders. However, there are many challenges and gaps in the provision and evaluation of youth psychiatric care. Therefore, more research is needed to identify the factors that predict the access, utilization, and outcome of youth psychiatric care, as well as to develop effective and personalized interventions for different subgroups of young people with mental health problems. They reported that headspace has achieved positive outcomes in terms of service access, satisfaction, quality, and effectiveness.