Predictors and motivational taxonomy of youth elopement from out-of-home mental health placement

Abstract

Youth elopement, or runaway from out-of-home (OOH) treatment facilities, is considered to be a prevalent and disruptive break in a youth's treatment course. The current study had two foci utilizing data from Hawaii's Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division, which included 1,261 youth's initial OOH treatment episode. First, sequential binary logistic regression was used to examine predictors associated with a youth's first elopement. Results illustrated that youth in unlocked facilities and who were diagnosed with a disruptive behavior disorder at time of intake were more likely to elope from OOH placement. Second, a coding system was developed and implemented on a random subsample of cases (N = 300) to assess elopement related motivational categories of each elopement episode. Three major motivational categories emerged, which included peer influence (54% of elopements), escape (49%), and approach (36%). Implications for child mental health service policy and practice are discussed.