Short-Term Efficacy of Interventions by a Youth Crisis Team

The impact of an outpatient psychiatric Emergency Room Follow-up Team on the hospitalization rate of youth in crisis (mostly suicidal adolescents) was determined by comparing the rate of psychiatric admissions before & after the team’s creation. A 16% reduction in the hospitalization rate followed the team’s creation, without an increase in the proportion of patients returning to the ER. It is concluded that there is a subpopulation of adolescents who may be effectively cared for as outpatients.