Diagnoses of patients referring to a child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinic

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the present study is to identify the diagnoses of patients who referred to a child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinic. Method: Medical records of 538 patients referred to the Children and Adolescent Psychiatry outpatient clinic at Gulhane Military Medical School, between January 2009 and June 2009 were studied retrospectively. Results: It was found that the patients were mostly male and within 7 to 18 years of age. It was also determined that three quarters of patients had at least one diagnosis and the diagnosis rate in children between the ages of 0-6 was 50 percent. Comorbid diagnoses were found in 13.7 percent of all cases and they were mainly in the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) group. The most common diagnoses were ADHD, generalized anxiety disorder, mental retardation, depression and enuresis, respectively. The most common diagnosis in all age subgroups was ADHD. While the most common diagnoses in boys are ADHD, mental retardation, generalized anxiety disorder, enuresis and depression respectively, they were ADHD, generalized anxiety disorder, depression, mental retardation and enuresis in girls. Conclusion: To know the most common diagnoses, diagnosis differences within genders and possible diagnoses for certain age groups will be useful for improving child and adolescent psychiatry services.