Risk factors and correlates of severe psychiatric disorders in a sample of inpatient children

This study used three informants to assess pervasiveness of psychopathology in a sample of 100 psychiatrically hospitalized children. Analyses of risk factors for severely disturbed and less disturbed children revealed that hopelessness, anxiety, low self- esteem, undisciplined personality profile, and negative life events differentiated the severely disturbed group from the less disturbed group. Implications of these findings are discussed, with an emphasis on the importance of focusing on degree of psychopathology with regard to risk factors.