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Comorbidities Among Mental Disorders in Preschool Children in the Mercy Pregnancy Emotional Wellbeing Study

Karen Wynter1,2, Wai Chen3,4, Andrew Lewis5

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Centre for Women's and Children's Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.

Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry
|February 25, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Comorbidity of mental disorders is common in preschool children. Nearly half of 3-4 year olds had mental health conditions, with many experiencing multiple diagnoses, highlighting the need for comprehensive assessments.

Area of Science:

  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Pediatric Mental Health

Background:

  • Comorbidities in childhood mental disorders can impact long-term development and mental well-being.
  • Limited robust data exists on the prevalence of comorbidities in preschool-aged children.
  • Understanding these patterns is crucial for early intervention and support.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of mental disorder comorbidities in Australian preschool-aged children (3-4 years old).
  • To investigate the co-occurrence patterns between different mental health diagnoses in this age group.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Australian Mercy Pregnancy Emotional Wellbeing Study.
  • Assessed mental disorders in children aged 3-4 years using the Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment (PAPA).
  • Reported the prevalence of comorbidities among diagnosed children.

Main Results:

  • 48% of the 545 children met criteria for mental disorders; 43% had anxiety disorders.
  • Among children with a diagnosis, 44% had an additional mental disorder (21% of the total sample).
  • Depressive disorders and anxiety disorders frequently co-occurred with externalizing disorders.

Conclusions:

  • Mental disorder comorbidity is prevalent in preschool-aged children.
  • Children with mental health symptoms may require assessment protocols considering multiple disorders.
  • Integrated services are recommended to address the complex needs of preschool children with mental health conditions.

Keywords:
PAPAchild mental disorderschild psychiatric disorderscomorbiditypreschool psychopathology

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