The desire and the experience of participation among children and adolescents in inpatient mental healthcare

Objective: Children have the right to participate in decisions that affect them. However, the stages and domains of participation relevant within inpatient child and adolescent psychiatry have rarely been empirically investigated. The present study closes this research gap. Method: A prospective, multicenter, questionnaire-based survey was conducted. The questionnaire comprised 100 items, summarized in 16 scales, to assess the desire and the experience of participation. The data were quantitively evaluated. Results: 81 children and adolescents from 5 psychiatric hospitals took part in the study. Overall, they wished more participation than experienced. The higher the level of participation, the greater the difference was between wish and reality. The desire for participation is particularly high for decisions regarding communication with family and friends. The largest difference between desire and experience related to respectful and trusting interaction with patients, and for female patients, this difference was even higher. Conclusion: Participation means more than informed consent. There is still potential for expanding participation in child and adolescent psychiatry, especially at higher levels of participation and concerning decisions about communication with family and friends. A respectful and trusting interaction with patients, regardless of age, sex, or illness, is fundamental.