Erschienen in:
01.08.2007 | ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTION
The use of health care services and psychotropic medication in a community sample of 9-year-old schoolchildren with ADHD
verfasst von:
Sabine Tremmery, Jan K. Buitelaar, Jean Steyaert, Geert Molenberghs, Frans J.M. Feron, Ariane C. Kalff, Petra P.M. Hurks, Jos G.M. Hendriksen, Johan S.H. Vles, Jelle Jolles
Erschienen in:
European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
|
Ausgabe 5/2007
Einloggen, um Zugang zu erhalten
Abstract
Objective
To examine the prevalence of the use of health care services and psychotropic medication within a community sample (N = 283) of 9-year-old school children and, more specifically, to evaluate the use of prescribed stimulants.
Methods
Data from the second follow-up phase of the “Study of Attention Deficit Maastricht” (SAM) were analysed. Assessments at age 9 included a structured psychiatric interview with parents, behaviour and family situation questionnaire, IQ estimate and global assessment scale. Use of health care services and medication was obtained by the DICA-R and from the Youth Health Care records.
Results
About 190 children of the selected sample had at least one child psychiatric diagnosis, 26 (14%) of them were clinically referred and 12 (6%) received stimulants. Of the children with ADHD (N = 45), 10/45 (22%) received stimulants. Conversely, 2 out of 12 children who were treated with stimulants did not meet full DSM-IV diagnostic criteria, but were subthreshold ADHD cases. The treatment status was highly dependent on being clinically referred.
Conclusion
The major finding of our survey is a lack of referral to child mental health services, and associated underdiagnosis and undertreatment, particularly in children with ADHD. There is a critical need to translate and implement the diagnostic and treatment guidelines to clinical practice.