The use of seclusion is not evidence-based practice.

TOPIC: Published articles on the use of seclusion in psychiatric care. PURPOSE: To present the argument that the use of seclusion in the psychiatric care of children is not evidence-based practice. SOURCES: Review of the scientific study literature of the last 30 years on the use of seclusion. CONCLUSIONS: The scientific evidence available illustrates that the use of seclusion with children is not therapeutic and is, in fact, harmful to patients.

Factors in childhood drug and alcohol use: a review of the literature.

TOPIC: Drug and alcohol use in children. PURPOSE: To identify the prevalence of drug and alcohol use in children 12 and younger and the factors associated with this use. SOURCE: A review of the literature. CONCLUSIONS: The identified factors include: a) differences in use between boys and girls; b) influence of family members' drug and alcohol use; c) influence of peers; d) the child's self-esteem; and e) the child's knowledge about drug and alcohol use. Awareness by child psychiatric nurses of the identified factors is crucial to prevent, assess, and treat the problem of drug and alcohol use by children.

Two weeks post-death report by parents of siblings' grieving experience.

Nurses who work with children and families need to be aware of the impact that the death of sibling has on children. Although many children have experienced losses, the loss of a sibling of course has a tremendous affect. Nurses must educate parents and children about death and the affect on the entire family. Siblings should be involved in the communication about the impending death and in the funeral arrangements. Open communication between the dying child, the siblings and the parents is very important. Young children will have different needs than older children because of their difficulty in understanding the finality of death. It is natural for parents to try to protect their children from unpleasant experiences such as death and dying. Research supports the dying process including the funeral. Children and their families need support through out the dying experience including follow up after the actual death. They need to be assured that their feelings and actions are common to others that have suffered a significant loss.

Child psychiatric nursing. Moving into the 21st century.

Changes in health care policy must be made to pave the way for the appropriate treatment and prevention of child and adolescent mental health problems. Nurses can provide the leadership needed to make the changes. Organizations such as the Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nurses and the Society for Education and Research in Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing are already making important contributions. Challenges in the arenas of treatment, education, and research are before us in child psychiatric nursing. We are facing these demands, however, and are moving forward into the twenty-first century.

The effect of a bereavement group experience on bereaved children's and adolescents' affective and somatic distress.

Losing loved ones through death is a common experience for children. Children living in urban centers may be at greater risk for death of family members as a result of increased daily stress and poverty. Children who experience permanent loss of family members without support to grieve are at greater risk for mental health problems. Manifestations of grief that frequently occur in children are psychosomatic complaints and affective distress. This study investigates the prevalence of loss by death among two groups of inner city youths, and the impact of a bereavement group experience on subjects' affective distress and somatic complaints. A significant difference was found between pretest and post-test scores on somatic complaints for the elementary school aged group.