Psychiatric illness in the paediatric population presenting to a psychiatry clinic in a tertiary care centre.

BACKGROUND

A variety of psychiatric manifestations can be seen in children below the age of 18 years. Such cases rarely present directly to psychiatric care.

METHODS

Retrospective study in Tertiary care hospital . The study population included all the patients of paediatric age group presenting to Psychiatry Outpatient Department of Dhulikhel Hospital directly or referred by a paediatrician or other specialists from October 2008 to October 2010.

RESULTS

Among the paediatric population evaluated in the psychiatry clinic for two years from October 2008 to October 2010 (N = 168), 66.7% were in the age group 15-18 years {mean = 14.77 (± 2.99)}, 71.4% were female and 42.3% belonged to Brahmin cast. The highest number of (15%) patients was seen during the month of August 2010. Six months analysis of the psychiatric illnesses of the patients from April 2010 up to October 2010 (n = 80) showed dissociative disorder (15%), and seizure disorder (15%) to be the most common diagnoses, followed by depressive disorder and intentional self harm (ISH) (13.8% each). 15% of patients were found to be treated by magico-religious means, with the majority of patients (66.7%) diagnosed as having dissociative disorder.

CONCLUSION

The majority of the paediatric population presenting to a psychiatry clinic were in the age group 15-18 years and of female sex. Dissociative disorder was the most common diagnosis followed by depressive disorders. The majority of patients with dissociative disorder had previously been treated by magico-religious means.