General hospital psychiatry
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Gen Hosp Psychiatry · Sep 1997
Comparison of child psychiatric patients in hospital and community clinics in Hong Kong.
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. ⋯ 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.