title: [Prevalence of mental health disorders among children and adolescents living in southern Chile].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The knowledge about prevalence of psychiatric disorders in all age groups is fundamental to plan an adequate mental health care.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of DSM-IV psychiatric disorders in a representative sample of children and adolescents living in the province of Cautin, Chile.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects aged between 4 and 18 years were selected in an aleatory stratified multistage fashion. As part of a national sample, four counties in Cautín were selected, then blocks, homes and the child or adolescent to be interviewed. Psychology graduate students applied the Spanish computer version of DISC-IV, as well as a questionnaire on family risk factors, socioeconomic index and service use.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A sample of 272 children and adolescents was evaluated, obtaining 93,4% of participation. Using the most stringent impairment algorithm, the prevalence rate for any psychiatric disorder was 16.8%, being 16.5% in boys and 17.1% in girls and mainly explained by anxiety and affective disorders. Prevalence was practically the same in the group aged 4 to 11 years than in those aged 12 to 18 years (16.7% and 16.8% respectively). Prevalence of anxiety disorders was the highest, but less associated with impairment. On the other hand, all children and adolescents with affective disorders were impaired.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of psychiatric disorders in Cautín is high in children and adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Psiquiatría y Salud Mental, Universidad de Concepción, Chile. bvicent@udec.cl
authors.forename: Benjamín
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vicente
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saldivia
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rioseco
authors.forename: Flora
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De La Barra
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valdivia
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Melipillan
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zúñiga
authors.forename: Bertha
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Escobar
authors.forename: Rolando
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pihan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires