DOES MORE PSYCHIATRIC INPATIENT TREATMENT DURING ADOLESCENCE PREDICT MORE OR LESS INPATIENT TREATMENT IN ADULTHOOD? A REGISTER BASED 10-YEAR FOLLOW-UP STUDY

ABSTRACT Previous research has produced inconsistent findings regarding whether the amount of inpatient care during adolescence predicts later treatment needs in adulthood. The aim of this study was to examine whether the extent of adolescent psychiatric inpatient care is associated with recurrent hospitalization and the accumulation of inpatient days in adulthood, and whether these associations are independent of age, sex, diagnosis and decade of first admission. This nationwide register‑based cohort study included all adolescents aged 13–17 who were admitted to psychiatric inpatient care for the first time between 1980 and 2010 (n=16 842). Adolescent inpatient days were calculated from all hospitalizations occurring before age 18, and adult inpatient days from hospitalizations during a ten‑year follow‑up period (ages 18–27). Associations were first analysed using cross‑tabulations, and multivariable logistic regression models were used to account for potential confounders. A greater number of adolescent inpatient days was associated with a higher likelihood of readmission and a larger number of inpatient days in adulthood. Older age at first admission, diagnostic group and earlier decade of admission also predicted the occurrence and amount of inpatient care during follow‑up. Among individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, the association between adolescent inpatient days and adult inpatient care was not as pronounced as in other diagnostic groups; instead, the need for care remained relatively stable regardless of the amount of adolescent hospitalization, likely reflecting the nature of the disorder. These findings highlight the importance of strengthening outpatient services and supporting symptom management and functional capacity in adolescents within their natural developmental environments.