[Infant and child psychiatry in Denmark].

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Epidemiology
• Developmental Psychology

Context:

• A descriptive epidemiological study was conducted in Denmark.
• Data was collected from child psychiatric departments over three years (1996-1998).
• All Danish child psychiatric departments participated, providing comprehensive data.

Purpose:

• To describe the epidemiological characteristics of psychiatric diagnoses in children aged 0-36 months.
• To analyze trends in child psychiatric referrals and diagnoses during the study period.
• To understand the nature of child psychiatric interventions for young children and at-risk populations.

Summary:

• 529 children aged 0-3 years were reported to the National Psychiatric Register, showing a 30% increase over the study period.
• Adjustment reactions were most common in infants (0-12 months), while pervasive developmental disorders (e.g., infantile autism) were prevalent in toddlers (2-3 years).
• A significant proportion (24%) of young children received non-specific diagnoses, particularly the youngest, indicating a need for targeted interventions for at-risk infants.

Impact:

• The findings highlight an increasing trend in child psychiatric diagnoses among very young children, particularly pervasive developmental disorders and adjustment reactions.
• This trend suggests a heightened child psychiatric intervention for at-risk populations, including infants of mothers with mental illness.
• The study underscores the importance of early detection and intervention in infant mental health services and specialized infant psychiatric units.