This study investigates the effectiveness of an intervention for children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders. The core concept is the provision of treatment in the patient's home environment as an alternative to, and substitute for, inpatient psychiatric care. Patients receive between 3 and 7 treatment sessions per week over a period of 3 months. A multidisciplinary team-comprising a physician, psychologist, social worker, occupational therapist, dietitian, and educational specialist-delivers assessments and interventions on site. Participation in the program is offered as a voluntary alternative to hospitalization.
The study is designed as a single-arm pragmatic trial. The primary outcome is the change in clinical symptom severity and psychosocial functioning, as assessed by the study physician. A follow-up assessment will be conducted after 6 months to evaluate long-term effectiveness.
In addition to the primary outcome, both patients and their legal guardians provide self-reports on psychosocial functional impairment. Changes in functional impairment constitute the secondary outcome.
For comparative purposes, outcomes will be contrasted with a historical control group consisting of inpatient participants.