A 22- to 25-year follow-up study of former child psychiatric patients: a register-based investigation of the course of psychiatric disorder and mortality in 546 Danish child psychiatric patients.

A total of 546 children and adolescents, aged 5 to 15 years, who were admitted as in-patients to psychiatric hospitals throughout Denmark between 1970 and 1973, were followed up with regard to later readmissions and mortality. Approximately one-third of the sample had at least one readmission after the age of 18 years; there was no significant difference between male and female subjects. Probands with three selected diagnoses, namely childhood neurosis, conduct disorder and maladjustment reactions, did have a significantly greater general risk of readmission to psychiatric hospital in adulthood than the background population. In total, 24 probands (22 male, and 2 female subjects) died during the study period. Eight subjects had committed suicide. The standard mortality rate was significantly increased.