Can Research on Family Factors in Youth Psychiatric Residential Treatment Programs Inform Efforts to Implement Family-Centered Care?

Every year, numerous youths seeking mental health services are placed in psychiatric residential treatment programs, often leaving their families for extended periods of time. The clinical and policy community has become increasingly interested in incorporating families into the treatment process, which may have a positive impact on care. Despite this interest, limited work has reviewed the impact of family factors across the entire treatment process (before admission, during treatment, and after discharge), or on barriers to implementing family-centered care practices to improve family engagement. To better understand the research in this domain, we conducted a narrative review on family involvement in residential care throughout the treatment process, with special attention paid to barriers and possible solutions. In general, family involvement in residential care remains underdeveloped and understudied. Given the youth mental health crisis, and the higher acuity of youth patients in residential treatment, greater exploration into how families can potentiate outcomes is warranted.