Psychosocial functioning of severely disturbed adolescents after short-term hospitalization.

Forty-two severely emotionally disturbed adolescents discharged after a brief hospitalization for an acute psychiatric episode were assigned to two groups--one for whom clinicians recommended continued intensive treatment in an inpatient, residential, or day treatment setting, even though such services were not available, and the other for whom clinicians recommended only outpatient treatment. The two groups were compared on rates of rehospitalization, self-harmful actions, and suicide attempts and on severity of problems with peers during the six months after discharge. The two groups showed significant differences only in the extent of their problems with peers.