title: [Epidemiological characterization of hospitalizations due to mental and behavior disorder in children and adolescents in Córdoba, Argentina].
abstract: Mental health needs of children and adolescents show epidemiological changes and sometimes require psychiatric hospitalization.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  to perform an epidemiological characterization of children and adolescents hospitalized for mental disorders in Hospital de Niños of Córdoba.
  
  
  METHODS
  observational retrospective study, based on clinical reports on 144 cases hospitalized during years 2009-2010. Data was processed using frequency analysis with a significance level of 0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  54.86% of cases corresponded to women and 45.14% to men. They were aged between 6 and 16 years, showing a higher media in women 12.87. Most frequent causes for hospitalization were: suicide attempt (25%), psychomotor agitation episodes (21.53%) and psychotic episodes (15.97%). Cases admitted for suicide attempt were not frequently treated. Most relevant psychopathological diagnoses were: behavior disorder of childhood in male, and personality disorders in women. Average stay was 21.9 days, cases that needed re-admission showed a longer time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  most frequent causes for hospitalization were related to impulsivity-aggression symptoms showing different distributions according to gender. Pathologies must be recognized, diagnosed and treated more promptly.
authors.affiliation: Sala de Internación Psiquiatría Pediátrica, Hospital de Niños de la Santísima Trinidad de Córdoba. bellamonica@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Mónica E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Bella
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bauducco
authors.forename: Jorge L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Leal
authors.forename: María Guillermina
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Decca
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001118:Argentina; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014504:Urban Health