Suicides, psychotic disorders and criminality among former child and adolescent psychiatric patients followed into adulthood

The overall aim was to provide information about child and adolescent psychiatric (CAP) patients and their outcome as adults: Were their difficulties in childhood due to mental illness, disablement and/or behaviour disorders? What happened to them as adults? Who were the patients in need of psychiatric care (GenP) in adulthood that had not had previous contact with CAP? Did this group differ from the former CAP group?

Methods: Paper I-III: 1,400 CAP patients admitted 1975-1990 to inpatient or outpatient CAP care in Jämtland County, Sweden were followed until 2003. Paper IV: A sample of 167 GenP patients not treated in CAP was compared to GenP patients with a history of CAP care. Hospital records at CAP were reassessed according to a study specific protocol. Outcome was measured in relation to register data on mortality, suicides, psychiatric/somatic care, and criminal convictions. CAP records were examined for those treated for psychosis either at CAP and or in GenP.

Results: Every third CAP patient has later received GenP care. They constituted a small part of the GenP patients in the same age-groups. The CAP patients showed an elevated rate of early death. Two of the 19 who later committed suicide had been initially admitted because of attempted suicide. Every third CAP patient had a criminal record. Over the past 50 years, the percentage of Swedish boys admitted to CAP care and later registered as criminals seems to have doubled while the corresponding percentage for girls has increased almost seven times. Behavioural disorders as a reason for CAP care were the most substantial risk factor for later criminality. Sixty-two former CAP patients (4.4%) received a psychosis diagnosis during the observation time 48 of them within the Schizophrenia categories and 14 with Psychotic Mood Disorder. Mean age at first onset was 21.4 years. Changes in behaviour, including social isolation, refusal to go to school, loneliness and odd behaviour in general were the initial signs and symptoms most frequently observed prior or upon admission to CAP-care. The GenP patients with and without a previous history in CAP care had similar problems as adults. Both groups had a larger need of somatic hospital inpatient-care before the age of 18 years when compared to the general population. More than a third of the treatment occasions occurred in paediatric care.

Conclusions: Psychosocial risk factors and social maladjustment in childhood seem to be the most important predictors of early death, including suicide. The increased risk of later criminality is hypothetically the result of rising alcohol consumption in Sweden, the comorbid use of illegal drugs, and changes in the organization of child social welfare work, the school system, and CAP methods that has occurred since 1970. Patients with onset of schizophrenia before 13-17 years of age showed typical symptoms upon admission to CAP care; while late-onset psychosis among former CAP could not be predicted from information gathered during CAP care. There is a group of patients treated in paediatrics and in CAP during childhood and adolescence before becoming later patients in GenP. These patients can most likely be identified during childhood if a closer collaboration is developed between paediatrics and CAP services. Hypothetically, the need of GenP care as adults in the larger group of GenP patients without a previous CAP history may develop from accumulated stressful life-events.

List of scientific papers

I. Engqvist U, Rydelius PA (2006). "Death and suicide among former child and adolescent psychiatric patients." BMC Psychiatry 6: 51
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17081290

II. Engqvist U, Rydelius PA (2007). "Child and adolescent psychiatric patients and later criminality." BMC Public Health 7: 221
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17727714

III. Engqvist U, Rydelius PA (2008). "The occurrence and nature of early signs of schizophrenia and psychotic mood disorders among former child and adolescent psychiatric patients followed into adulthood." Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health 2(1): 30
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18928534

IV. Engqvist U, Rydelius PA (2009). "Young adult and middle-aged psychiatric patients - a comparison of those with and without a history as recipients of child and adolescent psychiatric care." (Manuscript)