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Updated: Aug 12, 2026
P50 Sensory Gating in Infants
Published on: December 26, 2013
[Infant and child psychiatry in Denmark]
A M Skovgaard1, H M Hoffmann, M Moszkowicz
1Børnepsykiatrisk afdeling, Amtssygehuset i Glostrup.
Insights
Child psychiatric diagnoses in Denmark increased by 30% between 1996-1998, with adjustment reactions common in infants and pervasive developmental disorders in toddlers. This reflects increased intervention for at-risk young children.
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.
Introduction:
A descriptive epidemiological study of children aged 0-36 months.
Methods:
Diagnoses reported from the child psychiatric departments to The National Psychiatric Register were collected from a three-year period 1996, 1997, and 1998. The child psychiatric departments in Denmark filled in a questionnaire concerning referral, assessment, treatment, and consultant/liason functions. All the child psychiatric departments took part in the study.
Results:
529 children aged 0-3 years were reported to the National Psychiatric Register. In the period studied, there was a 30% increase in the number of children reported. Adjustment reactions were the commonest diagnosis in the youngest children, aged 0-12 months. Pervasive developmental disorders, particularly infantile autism, were commonest used in the age group 2-3 years. Twenty-four per cent of the children reported, especially the youngest children, had no specific psychiatric diagnosis. The increase in the number of children aged 0-1 year with adjustment reactions and non-specific diagnoses is discussed. Children aged 0-3 years are mainly treated as outpatients or by a consultant/liason child psychiatric service. The children referred to the child psychiatric departments in 1997 varied from fewer than 10 to about 100 children. Infant psychiatric units were established in two places in Denmark, in 1992 and 1997.
Discussion:
The increasing number of children aged 0-3 years reported to the National Psychiatric Register in the period 1996-1998 reflects an increase in the children aged 2-3 years diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorders, and in the case of the youngest children, aged 0-1 year, a more extensive child psychiatric intervention in relation to populations at risk, such as infants with mentally ill mothers.
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