Short-term admission for behavior modification

Abstract

Twenty-four children with behavioral problems were hospitalized for four days for intensive enhancement of their parents' parenting skills and a behavior modification program. This method was employed as an alternative approach to an ongoing problem. A questionnaire was designed to gauge parent satisfaction with the results. Seventeen children were rated as having improved behavior from four to 36 months after discharge. A standard behavioral checklist was employed before hospitalization (nine patients) and after hospitalization (19 patients) as a measure to document progress in the whole group. There was significant improvement for total disturbed behavior and a decrease on the anxiety scale with a follow-up period of four to 36 months. We conclude that short-term hospitalization is highly successful for carefully selected children with behavioral problems.