[Transitional and Adolescent Psychiatry in Austria: A Pilot Study on the Attitudes of Experts].

Transitional and Adolescent Psychiatry in Austria: A Pilot Study on the Attitudes of Experts Abstract.
Objective: This pilot study establishes baseline data on the current situation of transitional processes in Austrian psychiatry. We sought to gather information on the specific problems and needs occurring during the transition of mentally ill adolescents from child and adolescent to adult psychiatry.
Method: Professionals (psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists) working in child and adolescent psychiatry and adult psychiatry (N = 86) were assessed by means of an online survey concerning their experience with the transition of young adults.
Results: Almost all of the subjects queried (98.8 %) considered the current system inappropriate, and the majority (70.9 %) thought that patients would not tolerate transition from youth to adult psychiatric institutions very well. Only 16.3 % reported having a structured transition protocol at their workplace. Further 83.7 % expressed the need to improve collaboration between adolescent and adult psychiatry.
Conclusions: This sample of Austrian healthcare professionals describes large deficits regarding transitional issues in psychiatry. There is an urgent need to establish structured protocols for transition, especially since experiences occurring during this vulnerable period are crucial to the mental health of young people later in life.