One of two hospital units where teenagers with complex psychiatric problems are cared for is being closed to new admissions after inspectors said there were serious problems with the way youngsters were being treated.

The so-called Zikos units are used to treat 12 to 18-year-olds who are experiencing acute psychiatric crises but, experts say, in some cases the teenagers leave more traumatized than when they went in.

Youngsters who have been through the system speak of being extremely isolated and locked up without contact for more than 20 hours a day. They have also spoken about physical violence used by staff as well as intimidation and humiliation.

In some cases, they are forced to “earn back” their possessions, expert Jason Bhugwandass, who has interviewed 50 children who spent time at the unit, told broadcaster NOS.

His findings led to an unannounced visit by inspectors who concluded that the quality of care and leadership were both “insufficient”. The Zikos unit at the Stichting Pactum clinic in Zetten, which has six beds, has been closed to new admissions and the other 12-bed unit, run by Stichting iHUB in Harreveld, has been told to overhaul its staffing.

Parliament agreed earlier that secure youth psychiatric units should be phased out by 2030. Bhugwandass, who spent time in one of the clinics himself in 2015, says they should be closed down now.

The temporary halt on new admissions is “absolutely correct”, he told website Nu.nl. He also called for official recognition for the trauma youngsters at the units have suffered.

Both clinics have admitted that the care they offer is not up to standard. “We are not in a position at the moment to offer these youngsters the safe and skilled environment they need,” a Pactum spokesman said.