TY - JOUR T1 - A clinical study of competency in child psychiatric inpatients JF - Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online JO - J Am Acad Psychiatry Law SP - 587 LP - 594 VL - 26 IS - 4 AU - SB Billick AU - JL Edwards AU - W Burgert, 3rd AU - Serlen, JR AU - SM Bruni Y1 - 1998/12/01 UR - http://jaapl.org/content/26/4/587.abstract N2 - A 17-item competency questionnaire, modified for use with children and adolescents (CQ-ChP), was used to evaluate competency to consent to hospitalization and treatment in child psychiatric inpatients. A total of 25 consecutive English-speaking psychiatric child inpatient admissions were studied. Demographic data were statistically analyzed using chi 2, and there were no significant statistical differences between the competent and incompetent groups (using CQ-ChP scores and cut-offs). The various demographic/clinical variables and scores on the questionnaire were also statistically evaluated using chi 2. The only statistical significance was the association between reading level and competency with a value of p < .05. Therefore, by achieving a reading level at the fifth-grade standard, subjects were found to be competent as measured by the CQ-ChP. ER -