Comparison of child psychiatric patients in hospital and community clinics in Hong Kong

Abstract

This is a prospective study comparing a consecutive sample of child psychiatric patients at a community child mental health clinic (N = 56) and hospital clinic (N = 42) in Hong Kong. The subjects and their parents were studied with standardized questionnaires and semistructured interviews at their first visits to the clinics. A review of the treatment received was conducted 15 months later. Across settings, subjects were similar in sociodemographic profile, degree of social adversity, number of preceding life events, duration of chief complaints, maternal psychopathology, parental explanatory models of the child's problems, and expectations in treatment. Community clinic attenders had more disruptive behavioral problems, received shorter treatment, and less inpatient care than hospital clinic attenders. Subjects in both settings had very similar previous help-seeking behaviors. The findings suggested that the community clinic attracted disturbed children of similar backgrounds. The community child mental health clinic appeared to be a viable alternative in providing psychiatric care to children in Hong Kong.