Pathways to Psychiatry Care among Children with Mental Health Problems

Abstract

Many children with mental health problems in Egypt, as in many other countries, do not receive the help they need. Investigating the pathways of care is crucial for the early detection and treatment of these children. This study examined referral patterns and the duration of untreated psychiatric illness of 350 children attending two urban clinical settings in Egypt. Diagnoses were made using the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia for School-aged children present and lifetime (K-SADS-PL), Child behavior checklist (CBCL,) and the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale. For 46.3%, the most distressing symptom was behavioral problems. A delay in seeking psychiatric help was found. positive family history, and lower socioeconomic class were associated with delays in psychiatric consultation. For 39.7% of patients, the first contact was with a psychiatrist. Most children were referred by relatives. Awareness programs are needed to increase knowledge about and to decrease the duration of untreated illness.