Peer-reviewed article
Youth post-discharge recovery and family adjustment after inpatient mental health treatment - study protocol for the longitudinal mixed-methods ReCoVer study.
Friedrich AE, Zemp M ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study protocol describes a longitudinal mixed-methods research project examining how families adjust when young people return home after inpatient mental health treatment. The research will follow 70 caregivers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland over six months using surveys and interviews to understand caregiver burden, family factors, and youth recovery outcomes. The study aims to address a gap in knowledge about what helps or hinders youth mental health recovery during the critical post-discharge period.
Key points
- High readmission rates after inpatient youth mental health treatment indicate unmet needs in the post-discharge period
- Caregiver burden may be a key mechanism linking family circumstances to youth recovery outcomes
- The study will measure primary outcomes of inpatient readmission and mental health problems at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months post-discharge
- Mixed-methods design combines longitudinal surveys with semi-structured interviews to capture both quantitative and qualitative family experiences
- Target population is caregivers of youth aged 7-21 who received minimum 24-hour inpatient psychiatric treatment
Limitations
This is a study protocol, not a completed study, so it reports intended methods rather than actual findings or results. The document does not provide evidence about whether any intervention works, only describes how the research will be conducted.
Abstract
Background High readmission rates after child and adolescent inpatient treatment point to underrecognized issues in the post-discharge period. With a shift towards early reintegration in youth mental health care, the family environment youth return to is of particular importance for post-discharge outcomes, but there is currently a knowledge gap on family-level risk and protective factors in this context. Caregiver burden may act as a crucial mechanism linking family context to youth recovery. Methods and design The ReCoVer study investigates caregivers' perspectives on family care and youth mental health following inpatient psychiatric treatment (minimum 24-hour stay) of youth aged 7-21 in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. In a mixed-methods design, ReCoVer combines a longitudinal panel survey with semi-structured interviews. Caregivers of youth who received inpatient mental health treatment (target N = 70) will be recruited during discharge planning or follow-up sessions within one month after discharge. At baseline (T0) and after three (T1) and six (T2) months, participants will report on youth outcomes, caregiver well-being, and family processes. Primary outcomes (inpatient readmission, mental health problems) will be analyzed with regard to the contribution of caregiver burden and other family factors. Interview and survey data will be synthesized to identify burden, resources, and needs of families around their child's return to home care. Discussion Results from this study are expected to provide insights into family challenges and their associations with youth mental health in the immediate and medium-term post-discharge period. Clinical trial registration https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06865573, NCT06865573.