Reconciliations with Parents as a Treatment Goal for Adolescents in an Acute Care Psychiatric Hospital

Adolescents admitted to a psych hospital frequently experience intense anger towards their parents & are often estranged from them. This reflects the problem both patient & parents have coping with separation & individuation. The authors discuss the importance of treatment to achieve reconciliation in order to aid the adolescents’ move toward autonomy. The article describes the favorable environment & opportunities for intervention provided in an acute care hospital setting to meet such a goal.