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This 1-year study of seclusion and restraint in an acute inpatient psychiatric hospital revealed a marked difference in reasons and duration for adults, children, and adolescents. Children and adolescents are most often secluded and restrained in response to identifiable patterns of dangerous behavior, and episodes of seclusion and restraint involving children and adolescents are considerably shorter than episodes involving adults. This information is being used to find ways to improve the care and treatment of all patients, especially for children. [ Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 52 (3), 20–25.]

Reports on individual nonbehavioral child and adolescent psychotherapy since 1963 are reviewed. Inclusion criteria required some minimal contrasting group. Forty-three studies were assessed for basic methodological adequacy and main findings. The authors conclude that summary impressions from this body of literature cannot be made due to the magnitude of the flaws in basic psychotherapy research methodology. Suggestions are made regarding the future of child and adolescent psychotherapy research. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry , 1991, 30, 1:1–14.

The authors report a survey of 50 parent-child pairs from homeless families housed in New York City hotels. The purpose of the survey was to determine the extent of emotional or behavioral disturbances and of developmental delays in homeless children aged 4 through 10 years, the presence of depression or a history of depression or other psychiatric problems in the parents of these children, and to determine whether the children and adults had mental health needs. The results indicate that nearly all of the children showed some difficulties. Sixty-one percent of the children had receptive verbal functioning at or below the first percentile for age, 29% were functioning at the fifth percentile for age in psychomotor ability, and 38% exhibited emotional and behavioral problems. Twenty-eight percent of the parents exhibited evidence of mild to severe depression; a smaller percentage admitted to past psychiatric problems. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, 1990, 29, 5:732–735.

Ten depressed patients treated with trazodone developed edema and weight gain that was promptly reversed by reduction or discontinuation of trazodone. This suggests a dose-dependent effect. None of the patients had an active medical problem that might predispose to edema formation. Summary data on all 10 cases and three case histories are presented to alert physicians to this side effect.