The goal of this longitudinal mixed-methods study is to investigate caregiver strain, family processes and health outcomes after youth psychiatric inpatient treatment. Caregivers of youth who received inpatient treatment for mental health problems will complete a survey at three timepoints (baseline, 3- and 6- month followup) reporting on youth outcomes, caregiver well-being, and family processes. Qualitative interviews on caregivers' challenges, needs, and resources around the return to home care are conducted with a subsample (target n = 10) of participants.

The main research questions (RQs) are:

RQ 1: Do family processes contribute to youth mental health outcomes after discharge from inpatient treatment? RQ 1a: What family-level risk factors predict youth readmission to inpatient treatment? RQ 1b: Do family processes predict youth mental health trajectories over time? RQ 2: Is there a reciprocal relationship between youth mental health problems and caregiver burden? RQ 2a: Do family processes mediate the association between caregiver burden and youth mental health problems? RQ 3: How do caregivers experience their children's return to home care? RQ 3a: What challenges and needs do caregivers report? RQ 3b: What types of follow-up services do families receive and/or have access to? RQ 3c: How do caregivers cope with ongoing difficulties in the post-discharge period?

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 years or older
• primary caregiver of a child or adolescent aged 7-21 years of any gender who received inpatient treatment in a psychiatric institution in Germany, Austria, or Switzerland (min. 24 h stay) within the past month (regardless of the diagnosis or the reason for the treatment, respectively)
• lived with the child or adolescent in the same household since discharge

Exclusion Criteria:

• another caregiver of the same child has already participated in the study
• insufficient knowledge of German

primary caregivers (parents or guardians regardless of the biological relationship to the child) of children and adolescents who received inpatient psychiatric treatment