Background
To increase limited epidemiological knowledge of early childhood psychopathology, a study of prevalence estimates and demographic correlates of psychiatric disorders was conducted in a ...sample of preschool children.
Methods
In a two‐stage study, parents of 339 children aged 4–6 years who came for a medical check‐up at three primary care centres in Reykjavik were invited to participate. First, the participants were screened with Brigance Screens and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) for parents and teachers. Subsequently, the children were tested with a short version of Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scales of Intelligence – Revised and their parents were interviewed with the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Aged Children Present and Lifetime Version. Weighted prevalence estimates were calculated and logistic regression was used to analyse the association between risk factors and psychiatric disorders.
Results
Of those invited to participate, 317 (93.5%) were included in the screening and of those, 131 received a full diagnostic assessment. The final study sample included 151 girls (47.6%) and 166 boys (52.4%) who represented 11.6% of the total birth cohort in Reykjavik. Weighted prevalence of DSM‐IV psychiatric disorders was 10.1% (95% CI 6.7–13.5%) and 57/317 or 18.0% (95% CI 13.8–22.2%), including elimination disorders. Anxiety disorders (5.7%) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (3.8%) were the most common disorders in this preschool sample. Poor physical health of parents and higher education was associated with DSM‐IV psychiatric disorders of the children. SDQ Total Difficulties score was associated with male gender and poor physical health of parents.
Conclusions
This study indicates that psychiatric disorders in preschool children are common and may be correlated with parental health factors.
Forty-one children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs) receiving eclectic services were assessed twice during their preschool years. Measures were compared over time for the whole group and ...for diagnostic subgroups: Childhood autism (CA group) and Other PDDs group. The mean intelligence quotient/developmental quotient (IQ/DQ) of the whole group was stable (P = 0.209) and scores on the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) decreased (P = 0.001). At time 2, the CA group was more impaired than the other PDDs group: autistic symptoms were more severe (P = 0.01), adaptive behavior scores were lower (P = 0.014), and a trend for lower IQ/DQs (P = 0.06). Children in this study seemed to fare better than reported in previous follow-up studies on children with autism.
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