Hospitalizations for Mood Disorders in Children
Author Information
Author(s): Tamar Lasky, Aliza Krieger, Anne Elixhauser, Benedetto Vitiello
Primary Institution: MIE Resources, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
Hypothesis
What was the rate of hospitalizations for children with a diagnosis of mood disorder over this period?
Conclusion
Mood disorders are a major reason for hospitalization during development, especially in adolescence, with a stable hospitalization rate but varying trends in depressive and bipolar disorders.
Supporting Evidence
- The rate of pediatric hospitalizations with a principal diagnosis of a mood disorder was 12.4/10,000 in 2000.
- The incidence of hospitalizations for depressive disorders decreased from 9.1 to 6.4/10,000 children.
- The incidence of hospitalizations for bipolar disorders increased from 3.3 to 5.7/10,000 children.
- The mean length of stay increased from 7.1 to 7.7 days.
- Inflation-adjusted hospital charges increased from $10,600 in 2000 to $16,300 in 2006.
- The proportion of mood disorder stays paid by government increased from 35.3% to 45.2%.
Takeaway
Kids can get really sad or have mood swings, and sometimes they need to go to the hospital. This study looked at how many kids went to the hospital for these problems over a few years.
Methodology
The Kids' Inpatient Database was analyzed to calculate hospitalization rates for 2000, 2003, and 2006.
Potential Biases
Misclassification of hospital discharge diagnoses may under- or over-estimate conditions.
Limitations
The study does not include hospitalizations in psychiatric hospitals, substance abuse facilities, and rehabilitation hospitals.
Participant Demographics
The study focused on children under 18, with a higher incidence in females (57% in 2006).
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95% CI = 12.1-12.7
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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