Clinical and demographic characteristics of child and adolescent partial hospital patients.

Eighteen child and adolescent partial hospital (PH) programs were surveyed through site visits. Demographic and diagnostic characteristics of 796 patients and clinical records of current and discharged patients were examined. Most current patients lived with relatives and 52% received Medicaid. Fifty-eight percent had a primary diagnosis of an externalizing disorder and 46% had been hospitalized. Forty percent of the former patients (N = 96) were discharged from PH when such services were no longer needed; another 36% left because of lack of improvement. Administrative implications of these findings are discussed.