Authors (including presenting author) :
Ma WY (1), Lau PK (1), Wong WY (1), Pun HY (1), Kwok CW (1), Sezto NW (1), Hui N (1)
Affiliation :
(1) Occupational Therapy Department, United Christian Hospital
Keyword 1: :
Early intervention
Keyword 2: :
Occupational Therapy
Keyword 3: :
Functional performance
Keyword 4: :
Psychiatric service
Keyword 5: :
Child and adolescent
Introduction :
The rising demand for child and adolescent psychiatric services, driven by expanded community and school-based screening, together with increased needs identified by the Three-Tier School-based Emergency Mechanism, highlighted the need for timely screening and early intervention for child and adolescent population. Traditionally, Occupational Therapy (OT) has been accessible only after initial psychiatric appointment. However, within the Kowloon East Cluster, the initial child and adolescent psychiatric consultation average waiting time for 2024–2025 financial year is approximately 95 weeks. To bridge this service gap, the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service Enhancement Service (CES) was launched since July 2025.
Objectives :
To evaluate the functional performance improvement in child and adolescent after receiving early OT screening and intervention before psychiatric appointment.
Methodology :
Before the first psychiatric appointment, CES began with dual intake by psychiatric nurse and occupational therapist, which expanded service coverage and advanced OT patient journey. After intake, follow-up sessions with individualized OT care plan were delivered as appropriate, including on-site and tele-health OT intervention with home program prescribed. Children’s Global Assessment Scale (CGAS) was administered as the primary outcome measure to evaluate children’s functional improvement, and qualitative feedback were collected from parents to evaluate effectiveness of the program.
Result & Outcome :
Between July to November 2025, 196 children and adolescents were screened, with 52 completed CES interventions. Paired t-tests analysis on CGAS outcome demonstrated statistically significant improvements in functional performance (p < 0.001) with a medium effect size (d = 0.73). Positive parent feedback also reflected child and adolescent had improvement in activities of daily living (ADL), such as tidier grooming and better compliance to daily routine. Parents feedback also suggested strengthened performance at school such as improved speed and accuracy in fine motor and handwriting task and better social skill when interacting with peers and teachers.
