Prevalences and configurations of mental disorders among institutionalized adolescents.

• OBJECTIVE: To assess prevalence figures for psychiatric disorders among institutionalized adolescents due to behavioural problems and/or delinquency. METHOD: Participants were recruited from consecutive referrals to/or treated at two Swedish adolescent units, SIS1 (n = 60) and SIS2 (n = 70) with ranging age of 12-20.3 years (mean age = 16.2; SD = 1.8) during 1 year. Clinical and diagnostic information was used to generate DSM-IV diagnoses. RESULTS: One or several neuropsychiatric disorders were diagnosed in 53% of all subjects: 39% met DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD), 15% for a pervasive developmental disorder (referred to as autism spectrum disorders, ASDs) and 8% had a mental retardation (referred to as a learning disability, LD). The collapsed prevalence for psychiatric disorders requiring specialist attention was 66%, counting severe depression and psychotic disorders but not substance use. About one in three of all adolescents in the study were given psychopharmacological treatment. CONCLUSION: Published studies and this clinical survey clearly indicate that systematic studies of mental health needs among institutionalized adolescents are warranted to form the basis of adequate treatment and support measures.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Psykiatri (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Psychiatry (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Adolescent

Adolescent

Institutionalized

Statistics & numerical data

Adult

Age Factors

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity

Epidemiology

Autistic Disorder

Epidemiology

Child

Depressive Disorder

Epidemiology

Female

Humans

Juvenile Delinquency

Statistics & numerical data

Learning Disorders

Epidemiology

Male

Mental Disorders

Classification

Epidemiology

Mental Retardation

Epidemiology

Prevalence

Psychotic Disorders

Epidemiology

Psychotropic Drugs

Therapeutic use

Sex Factors

Sweden

Epidemiology

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)