Psychiatric Morbidity Pattern in a Child Guidance Clinic

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Pediatric Mental Health
• Military Health Services

Background:

• Limited research exists on childhood psychiatric morbidity in India.
• This study addresses the need for local data within a specific demographic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence and types of psychiatric disorders in children attending a military child guidance clinic in India.
• To understand referral patterns and diagnostic distributions.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis was conducted on 213 pediatric patients.
• Data was collected from a child guidance clinic within the armed forces setting.

Main Results:

• The majority of patients (n=138) were boys.
• Referral sources included pediatric outpatient departments (55.9%) and peripheral medical officers (38.5%).
• The most frequent diagnoses were mental retardation (30.97%), behavioral and emotional disorders (23.06%), and neurotic, stress-related, and somatoform disorders (15.98%).

Conclusions:

• Child guidance clinics in military settings see a significant number of children with psychiatric conditions.
• Mental retardation and behavioral/emotional disorders are prevalent diagnoses requiring attention.
• Further research is needed to understand and address psychiatric morbidity in Indian children.