Description
Background: Adolescents with mental health disorders require stable care structures during the transition to adulthood. The traditionally mandated change in treatment at the age of 18—from child and adolescent psychiatry to adult psychiatry—did not adequately meet this need. An amendment to the Austrian Medical Training Regulations, which came into effect on May 15, 2024, now officially allows child and adolescent psychiatrists (CAPs) in Austria to continue treating their patients beyond the age of majority. This study is the first to examine CAPs' assessments of the amendment and to gather initial insights into its practical impact on care provision.Methodology: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 CAPs working in various professional settings. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.
Results: The study shows that the amendment was introduced unexpectedly for many CAPs, with some office-based practitioners expressing frustration over the lack of lead time. However, the content of the amendment was largely viewed positively, with some even describing it as long overdue. Many CAPs feel compelled, due to high workloads, to prioritize their limited resources for minors, a situation that remains unchanged despite the amendment. In the inpatient sector, the amendment has not yet led to significant changes, mainly due to high pressure on bed availability in clinics.
Conclusion for Practice: The amendment is met with content-related approval by the CAPs interviewed; however, the existing lack of resources in both inpatient and outpatient settings prevents its full potential from being realized. Without an expansion of capacity, the improvements in psychiatric care for patients in transition, as intended by the amendment, are likely to remain largely unrealized.
| Period | 28 May 2025 |
|---|---|
| Event title | 20th YSA PhD Symposium 2025 |
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Vienna, AustriaShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |