Perceptions of mental healthcare professionals regarding inpatient therapy programmes for adolescents in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Abstract

The findings showed that inter-professional collaboration is an important aspect of successful inpatient adolescent therapy programmes. Such programmes benefit from the involvement of a wide variety of professionals. However, professionals who are part of a multi-professional team need to be suitably skilled and prepared to meet the needs of the adolescent. Professionals working in therapy programmes for adolescents should have certain personal attributes that make them suitable for working with adolescents. An adolescent inpatient therapy programme requires a team leader or a coordinator to lead the programme to ensure its success. Continuous assessment of each adolescent is essential. Therapy should take place in an adolescent-friendly environment and should be structured yet flexible. The involvement of the adolescents' families is critical, and the programme should be designed with the family in mind. Group therapy is a major component of an adolescent therapy programme and individual therapy is also an important aspect of the programme. Finally, adolescents should only take part in the programme for a short time to avoid institutionalisation.

Evaluating effectiveness in adolescent mental health inpatient units: A systematic review

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A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Assessment and Management of Pre-school Age Neuro-developmental Disorders: A Local Experience

“…Developmental assessment programs bene it from the involvement of a wide variety of professionals who are part of a multi-disciplinary team, each suitably skilled and prepared to meet the needs of the children and their families. Multidisciplinary and inter-professional approach has been documented to be effective in the management of many childhood situations spanning from healthy child surveillance to inpatient mental health care [9,10]. The primary care provides a unique area of potential ample opportunities for training and promotion of high-quality developmental surveillance [11].…”