Predictors of Partial Hospital Readmission for Young Children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder

This study aimed to: (1) examine rates of readmission among young children with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) following discharge from a psychiatric partial hospital treatment program, and (2) examine child factors (i.e., age, sex, co-occurring diagnoses, suicidality) and family factors (i.e., parental depression, stress) as prospective predictors of readmission. Participants were 261 children (ages 3–7 years) who entered the study at the time of their initial program admission and who met DSM-IV criteria for ODD. Of these 261 children, 61 (23%) were subsequently readmitted, with most readmissions occurring within 1 year. Cox regression survival analyses demonstrated that younger child age, child suicidal thoughts and behavior, and child PTSD diagnosis were associated with decreased time to readmission. Findings suggest that young children with ODD who present with co-occurring suicidality or PTSD are at risk for readmission following partial hospitalization, with implications for treatment and aftercare planning.