Frequent use of psychiatric hospitalization for low-income, inner-city ethnic minority youth.

The clinical and demographic data of 664 youth (M age = 13.92, SD = 2.58) were used to identify factors associated with frequent use of psychiatric hospitalization. Clinical data included scores on the Self-Report of Personality (SRP) and Parent Rating Scales (PRS) of the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2). Demographic data included age, race/ethnicity, gender, and the presence or absence of surrogate care. Results indicated that those youth with frequent admissions to the hospital were generally between 13 and 18 years old (p = .01), African American (p = .03), and in surrogate care (p = .04). Relative to the other youth in our sample they were more aggressive (p p p p = .003). The implications of these findings and the recommended interventions for youth with disruptive behaviors are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)