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Ontario Child Health Study. II. Six-month prevalence of disorder and rates of service utilization
Insights
Child psychiatric disorders affect 18.1% of youth, with higher rates in urban areas. Most affected children do not receive specialized mental health services, highlighting a critical gap in care.
Area of Science:
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Public Health
- Healthcare Services Research
Background:
- Child psychiatric disorders are prevalent and impact various aspects of a child's life.
- Understanding service utilization patterns is crucial for effective intervention and resource allocation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the six-month prevalence of four child psychiatric disorders in Ontario.
- To examine patterns of service utilization for mental health and social services, ambulatory medical care, and special education.
- To identify disparities in prevalence and service use based on geographic region, urban-rural residence, age, and sex.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study analyzing six-month prevalence rates of specific child psychiatric disorders.
- Examination of service utilization data across mental health, social, medical, and educational sectors.
- Stratification of data by region, urban-rural status, age, and sex.
Main Results:
- The six-month prevalence of one or more disorders was 18.1% among children aged 4-16.
- Hyperactivity and overall disorder prevalence were higher in urban than rural areas.
- Children with psychiatric disorders were four times more likely to use mental health services, yet 5/6 received no specialized care.
- Over 50% received ambulatory medical care, and over 15% received special education services.
Conclusions:
- A significant proportion of children experience psychiatric disorders, with notable urban-rural disparities.
- Despite increased service use among affected children, a substantial gap exists in specialized mental health care provision.
- Findings underscore the need for improved child mental health service delivery and accessibility.
Abstract:
We studied the six-month prevalence of four child psychiatric disorders (conduct disorder, hyperactivity, emotional disorder, and somatization) and patterns of service utilization for mental health and social services, ambulatory medical care and special education by different regions of Ontario, urban-rural residence, and age and sex groupings. Among children 4 to 16 years of age, the overall six-month prevalence rate of one or more of these disorders was 18.1%. The prevalences of hyperactivity and one or more disorders were significantly higher in urban areas than rural areas. The utilization data indicated that children with these psychiatric disorders, compared with children without these disorders, were almost four times more likely to have received mental health or social services in the six months preceding this study. However, five of six of these children had not received these specialized services in the previous six-month period. Over 50% of the children in the province had received ambulatory medical care in the last six months. Over 15% of the children in the province had received special education services at some time thus far in their school careers. Implications of these findings, especially for the provision of child mental health services, are discussed.