title: Factors Influencing Time Lag Between Initial Parental Concern and First Visit to Child Psychiatric Services Among ADHD Children in Japan.
abstract: The aim of this study was to examine the factors associated with a time lag between initial parental concern about ADHD symptoms and the first visit to a hospital in Japan that offers child psychiatric services. We investigated the demographic characteristic, symptoms, diagnosis, and healthcare system factors including duration between initial parental concern about symptoms and the first visit to a hospital (N = 387). The mean time lag between initial parental concern and the first visit to a hospital was 2.6 years. Risk factors for a longer time lag include the young age of a child, behavioral problems of the child, lower maternal education, difficulty in determining appropriate medical institution, referral route, and the distance from home to the hospital. A more established connection between a hospital with child psychiatric services and other health institutions is recommended for earlier referral to an appropriate hospital.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosocial Medicine, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan.|Department of Pediatrics, Tokyo Jikei University of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamauchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, 2-10-1 Okura, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 157-8535, Japan. fujiwara-tk@ncchd.go.jp.
authors.forename: Takeo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Tokyo Jikei University of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Makiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okuyama
mesh_terms: D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: ADHD; Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Behavior problem; Child psychiatry; Mental health system