ABSTRACT
There is good reason to believe that the prevalence of severe, emotional, behavioural and psychiatric disorders among children is increasing. Children are admitted to hospital on a predetermined date for a pre-established period of five weeks. Following hospitalisation, the treatment techniques are carried out for an additional five weeks in the family's home. In the majority of instances the five-week treatment programme is definitive. The short intensive treatment usually does not require prolonged therapies. The school teaching staff work towards providing a satisfactory quality of instruction which complements the philosophy and objectives of the treatment programme. The increasing demand for treatment may be a result of the increasing awareness of psychiatric problems. The apparent increase in depression may indicate that children are not responding well to the increasing rates of divorce and family break-up.
