Have adolescent psychiatric patients changed with the increasing number of referrals?

Background Adolescent psychiatric service provision and referrals to these services have increased constantly during the 2000s. During the past few years, a further sharp increase in requests for services has been observed across the country. We analysed whether these developments have resulted in changes in diagnoses, symptoms and family risk factors for psychiatric morbidity among young people referred to adolescent psychiatric services in Tampere University Hospital.

Methods One hundred patients consecutively admitted to the adolescent psychiatric outpatient clinic of the study hospital in 2004, 2014 and 2017 were included. A retrospective chart review with the help of a structured data collection form was carried out. The data was analysed using statistical methods for quantitative data.

Results From 2004 to 2014 the patients’ profiles remained largely unchanged. Sexually offending behaviours and harmful alcohol use decreased in frequency. Self-harming behaviours, psychotic symptoms, depression, impulse control problems, anxiety symptoms and attention problems were recorded more commonly in 2017 than before.

Conclusions In 2017, after a considerable increase in referrals, new patients presented with more and more severe symptoms than earlier. The increase in referrals is not due to medicalization of everyday challenges.