Clinical Profile of Children and Adolescents Referred for Psychiatric Admission Following Emergency Psychiatric Evaluation

Introduction:This study aims to examine the psychiatric profiles and hospitalization-related characteristics of children and adolescents referred for inpatient psychiatric treatment following emergency psychiatric evaluation in Trkiye. Methods:A retrospective chart review was conducted on 57 adolescents (36 females, 21 males) who were evaluated in the pediatric emergency department and referred for psychiatric hospitalization between October 2022 and September 2024.Socio-demographic variables, psychiatric diagnoses, suicide attempt history, psychotropic medication use, and hospitalization outcomes were analyzed. Results:No significant gender differences were found in age, family structure, or school attendance.However, suicide attempts were significantly more common in females (80.6%) than males (42.9%) (p=0.004).Poisoning was the most frequent method among females (75.9%), whereas males more often used hanging or jumping.Depressive disorder was the most common diagnosis in females (69.4%), while bipolar disorder (23.8%) and psychotic disorder (14.3%) were more prevalent in males.Comorbidity was more frequent in females (44.4%) compared to males (19.0%), (p=0.053).At the time of presentation, 91.7% of females and 95.2% of males were already using psychotropic medication.Overall, 50.9% of the cases were admitted to inpatient care.Treatment refusal was higher among males (42.9%) than females (25%). Conclusion:Our study underscores significant gender-based differences in psychiatric presentations, suicide attempt characteristics, and hospitalization outcomes.These findings highlight the urgent need, in pediatric emergency settings, to improve access to inpatient psychiatric care and to strengthen early intervention strategies for acute psychiatric conditions, with a specific emphasis on suicide-related presentations.