Understanding caregivers' perspectives on adolescent psychiatric admission and re-admission.

BACKGROUND

In India, adolescent psychiatric hospitalization is influenced by clinical, familial, and systemic factors. Caregivers' perspectives on admission decisions remain underexplored, particularly in low-resource settings.

AIM: To explore the perceived need for inpatient admission or re-admission of adolescents with mental illness, as expressed by their primary caregivers.

METHODS

A qualitative descriptive study was conducted at a tertiary Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Centre in India. Twenty-six primary caregivers of adolescents (13-18 years) were interviewed using a validated semi-structured guide, and the data were analyzed thematically.

RESULTS

Thematic analysis identified several themes: factors influencing admission/re-admission, caregiver burden, family and home dynamics, social withdrawal and inadequate school support, adolescent coping strategies, and treatment-related challenges such as medication side effects and inadequate aftercare.

CONCLUSION

Caregiver-perceived admission drivers are multifactorial. Strengthening community services, caregiver psychoeducation, and adolescent-friendly aftercare is essential to reduce preventable hospitalisations.