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[Psychological symptoms in school children. An epidemiologic study]
1Klinik und Poliklinik für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie der Philipps-Universität Marburg.
Zeitschrift Fur Kinder- Und Jugendpsychiatrie
|September 1, 1990
Summary
A study found 12.7% of school children need psychiatric care, but only 3.3% receive it, often at non-psychiatric facilities. This highlights a gap in child psychiatric services.
Area of Science:
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Child psychiatric disorders are a significant public health concern.
- Understanding the prevalence and treatment gap is crucial for service planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of psychiatric problems in school-aged children.
- To assess the treatment gap for child psychiatric disorders.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) on a representative sample of 1969 school children (6-17 years).
- Included 404 patients from child and adolescent psychiatric services.
- Defined psychiatric problems based on parental symptom reports rated by experts as requiring treatment.
Main Results:
- 12.7% of school children required counseling or treatment for psychiatric issues.
- Only 3.3% of children needing care were actually receiving treatment.
- Half of the treated children received care at non-psychiatric medical facilities.
Conclusions:
- A substantial number of children exhibit psychiatric problems but do not receive adequate treatment.
- There is a significant treatment gap in child and adolescent mental health services.
- Factors such as age, social class, school type, and nationality influence symptom prevalence.