title: [Prevalence of psychiatric disorders among Chilean children and adolescents].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Psychiatric disorders that appear during childhood or adolescence should be a public health priority.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To report the results of a national representative survey in the Latin American region examining the prevalence of DSM-IV psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects aged 4 to 18 years were selected using a stratified 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 adolescents (42.9% and 33.2%, respectively). A third of participants receiving a diagnosis sought some form of assistance. Nearly a quarter of those using services, did not have a psychiatric diagnosis in the past year. Comorbidity was found in 27% of those with a disorder, but only 7% had three or more diagnoses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of psychiatric disorders in Chile is high among children and adolescents. This study highlights the increasing need to re-evaluate mental health services provided to children and adolescents in our country.
authors.affiliation: Departmento de Psiquiatría y Salud Mental, Universidad de Concepción, 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: Flora
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: de la Barra
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Melipillán
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valdivia
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kohn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors