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[3-year follow-up of a child psychiatric cohort]
Niels Bilenberg1, Dorthe Pedersen
1Odense Universitetshospital, Det Børne- og Ungdomspsykiatriske Hus. niels.bilenberg@ouh.fyns-amt.dk
Insights
Child psychiatric patients showed declining symptom load over time, with greater improvement in emotional/behavioral disorders than neuropsychiatric conditions. This offers insights into child mental health prognosis.
Area of Science:
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Developmental Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Prospective follow-up studies on Danish child psychiatric cohorts are limited.
- Understanding the natural course and prognosis of child psychiatric disorders is crucial for patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the longitudinal course of symptom load in a cohort of children treated in outpatient psychiatric clinics.
- To identify prognostic factors in child psychiatric disorders.
Main Methods:
- 110 children (91 boys, 19 girls, aged 4-13) from Danish outpatient clinics were assessed.
- Baseline diagnosis and symptom load (Child Behavior Checklist - CBCL) were recorded.
- Annual follow-up assessments used CBCL and Teachers Report Form (TRF).
Main Results:
- Symptom load generally declined over the follow-up period, though remained elevated.
- Children with emotional and behavioral disorders showed a greater decline in total behavior problem scores compared to those with neuropsychiatric disorders (Attention Deficit and Autism Spectrum Disorders).
Conclusions:
- This follow-up study provides valuable prognostic information for child psychiatric outpatient populations, despite a small sample size.
- The data can serve as a 'treatment as usual' reference group for future clinical outcome studies.
Introduction:
Publications on prospective follow-up studies of Danish child psychiatric cohorts are scarce. Such studies are necessary in order to be able to inform patients about the natural course and prognosis of child psychiatric disorders.
Materials And Methods:
Baseline data is obtained from 110 children, ie. 91 boys and 19 girls (4-13 years old) assessed in 2 child and adolescent psychiatric outpatient clinics in Denmark. As part of the baseline assessment, the children were clinically diagnosed and covered most of the child psychopathological spectrum. Baseline information included demographic data, assessment of symptom-load by means of The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and a global function score. The children in the cohort were assessed once a year using the CBCL and the Teachers Report Form (TRF).
Results:
The symptom-load is declining, although still high during the follow-up period. The decline in total behaviour problem scores was greater in the group of children diagnosed with emotional and behavioural disorders compared to those with neuropsychiatric disorders (Attention deficits and Autism spectrum disorders).
Conclusion:
In spite of the relatively small sample size, this follow-up study identifies important issues of prognostic value in this clinical child psychiatric outpatient population. The material may be useful as a 'treatment as usual' group in future clinical outcome studies.
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