title: Pattern of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders among patients consulting publicly-funded child psychiatric clinics in Saudi Arabia.
abstract: Data about psychiatric problems among young people are scarce in the Gulf countries. This retrospective review of records describes the pattern of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders among patients consulting 3 child psychiatric clinics in Saudi Arabia during the year 2008. Most patients were referred from the public health sector (92.8%). Psychotropic drugs were prescribed for 86.2% of patients and psychotherapy for 55.2%. Maternal perinatal complications and other psychosocial stressors were noted in almost 45.8% of cases. Family history of psychiatric disorder was reported in 31.5% of patients. Psychiatric comorbidity was noted in 40.5% of cases while physical diseases were noted in 29.9%. The outcome was classified as unstable at the last consultation in 17.9% of cases. In a linear regression analysis the only factors significantly associated with unstable outcome were a higher load of symptoms (OR 2.64) and perinatal complications (OR 2.84).
authors.affiliation: General Administration for Mental Health and Social Services, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Al-Habeeb
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Qureshi
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Al-Maliki
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult