A review of research on hospital treatment of children and adolescents.

Previous studies have revealed numerous problems that confront those researching the inpatient psychiatric treatment of children and adolescents. The author reviews studies that examine the diagnostic and clinical characteristics of these patients, and that attempt to evaluate and predict treatment outcome. She discusses problems related to measurement of and changes in functioning, the role of social and economic forces, and limitations of applied research. She proposes that clinical research, when integrated into the clinical program and planning process, can make a significant contribution to the quality of psychiatric treatment.