Prevalence of psychiatric disorders among Chilean children and adolescents Salud mental infanto-juvenil en Chile y brechas de atención sanitarias

Abstract

Background: Psychiatric disorders that appear during childhood or adolescence should be a public health priority. Aim: To report the results of a national representative survey in the Latin American region examinig the prevalence of DSM-IV psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. Material and Methods: Subjects aged 4 to 18 years were selected using a stratifi ed multistage design. The Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children Version IV (DISC-IV) was used to obtain 12-month DSM-IV diagnoses, and was supplemented with questionnaires examining family risk factors, socioeconomic status and service use. Results: A sample of 1558 children and adolescents (51% males) was evaluated. Fifty three percent of the sample were children aged 4 to 11 years and the rest were adolescents aged 12 to 18 years. The prevalence rate for any psychiatric disorder without impairment was 38.3% (33.5% for boys and 43.3% for girls). The prevalence rate was higher among children as compared to adolescen