DSM-IVSymptoms in community and clinic preschool children.
OBJECTIVE
To describe and compare ratings of psychiatric symptoms in community and clinic samples (ages 3-6 years) using a DSM-IV-referenced rating scale.


METHODS
Parent (/and teacher) ratings were obtained for community (N = 531/398) and special education (N = 64/140) samples (1995-1997) and an outpatient clinic (N = 224/189) sample (1994-1996).


RESULTS
Age and socioeconomic status were only minimally (r< 0.20) correlated with ratings of psychopathology. The most commonly endorsed symptom categories were attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder, anxiety disorder, conduct disorder (teacher), and pervasive developmental disorder (clinic). Groups were easily differentiated by the rate and severity of symptoms (clinic > special education > community). Males generally received higher scores than females (especially teacher ratings). Children with ADHD symptoms had higher ratings of impairment (developmental deficits) than the non-ADHD group.


CONCLUSIONS
Although these findings share a number of similarities with studies of older children, there are also differences that attest to the uniqueness of this age group.
Gadow
K D
KD
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, State University of New York at Stony Brook, 11794-8790, USA.
Sprafkin
J
J
Nolan
E E
EE
D000553:Ambulatory Care; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003156:Community Mental Health Services; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors