TY - JOUR
T1 - The Use of Health Care Services and Psychotropic Medication in a Community Sample of 9-Year-Old Schoolchildren with ADHD
AU - Tremmery, S.
AU - Buitelaar, J.K.
AU - Steyaert, J.
AU - Molenberghs, G.
AU - Feron, F.J.M.
AU - Kalff, A.C.
AU - Hurks, P.P.M.
AU - Hendriksen, J.G.M.
AU - Vles, J.S.H.
AU - Jolles, J.
PY - 2007/1/1
Y1 - 2007/1/1
N2 - To examine the prevalence of the use of health care services and psychotropic medication within a community sample (N = 283) of 9-year-old school children and, more specifically, to evaluate the use of prescribed stimulants.Data from the second follow-up phase of the "Study of Attention Deficit Maastricht" (SAM) were analysed. Assessments at age 9 included a structured psychiatric interview with parents, behaviour and family situation questionnaire, IQ estimate and global assessment scale. Use of health care services and medication was obtained by the DICA-R and from the Youth Health Care records.About 190 children of the selected sample had at least one child psychiatric diagnosis, 26 (14%) of them were clinically referred and 12 (6%) received stimulants. Of the children with ADHD (N = 45), 10/45 (22%) received stimulants. Conversely, 2 out of 12 children who were treated with stimulants did not meet full DSM-IV diagnostic criteria, but were subthreshold ADHD cases. The treatment status was highly dependent on being clinically referred.The major finding of our survey is a lack of referral to child mental health services, and associated underdiagnosis and undertreatment, particularly in children with ADHD. There is a critical need to translate and implement the diagnostic and treatment guidelines to clinical practice.
AB - To examine the prevalence of the use of health care services and psychotropic medication within a community sample (N = 283) of 9-year-old school children and, more specifically, to evaluate the use of prescribed stimulants.Data from the second follow-up phase of the "Study of Attention Deficit Maastricht" (SAM) were analysed. Assessments at age 9 included a structured psychiatric interview with parents, behaviour and family situation questionnaire, IQ estimate and global assessment scale. Use of health care services and medication was obtained by the DICA-R and from the Youth Health Care records.About 190 children of the selected sample had at least one child psychiatric diagnosis, 26 (14%) of them were clinically referred and 12 (6%) received stimulants. Of the children with ADHD (N = 45), 10/45 (22%) received stimulants. Conversely, 2 out of 12 children who were treated with stimulants did not meet full DSM-IV diagnostic criteria, but were subthreshold ADHD cases. The treatment status was highly dependent on being clinically referred.The major finding of our survey is a lack of referral to child mental health services, and associated underdiagnosis and undertreatment, particularly in children with ADHD. There is a critical need to translate and implement the diagnostic and treatment guidelines to clinical practice.
U2 - 10.1007/s00787-007-0604-5
DO - 10.1007/s00787-007-0604-5
M3 - Article
SN - 1018-8827
VL - 16
SP - 327
EP - 336
JO - European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
JF - European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
IS - 5
ER -