Inside as well as outside the Netherlands little is known about patients who are referred to and admitted in psychiatric clinics for adolescents. In this article data are presented about the population of a Dutch psychiatric clinic for adolescents, gathered from september 1st 1989 to september 1st 1992. Findings from this study are compared to data concerning the general Dutch adolescent population and data concerning adolescents admitted in other Dutch psychiatric inpatient services, whenever available.

On the one hand results show that the group of patients described here is very heterogeneous with regard to demographic characteristics, and as such a reflection of the general Dutch population. On the other hand this group of patients stands out in severity of psychopathology and extensive use of adolescent mental health and welfare services.