Trends in adolescent psychiatric hospitalization.

This article explores the recent increase in adolescent psychiatric inpatient admissions. Factors fueling the tendency to hospitalize are discussed, and the concept of medicalization of adolescent behavior problems is related to this trend. Reflecting the medicalization concept, several questions and hypotheses regarding parental decision-making as it is related to adolescent hospitalization are presented. Through further investigation, a better understanding of the factors influencing or determining need for adolescent psychiatric hospitalization can be gained.