The children's psychiatric hospital unit in the community: I. Concept and development.

The authors describe a children's mental health unit (CMHU) in a general hospital and cite the need for short- and intermediate-term children's psychiatric facilities within the community. They point out the special need for psychiatric inpatient units for the 3-13 age group and note that in their CMHU the average length of stay and patient turnover ratio compare favorably with adolescent units, which they attribute to the emphasis on diagnosis and treatment rather than long-term rehabilitation.