Psychiatric Profile of Physically Ill Pediatric Patients

Abstract

Background A pediatric-psychiatric liaison programs have evolved to enable the staff pediatricians to assume adequate training to assess emotional, behavioral, and family problems that may be an integral part of the patient's symptoms. Objectives The aim of the current study is to assess prevalence of psychiatric symptoms among physically ill children aging from six to eighteen attending pediatric out-patient clinic in Beni Suef University Hospital . Method A random sample of 300 Egyptian diseased children with acute and chronic illness aged between 6 and 18 years, fulfilling inclusion and exclusion criteria participated in this study along eight months duration starting from May 2011 to December 2011. All subjects of the study were subjected to screening test for the patients or their informants using 'The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) for ages 6–18” and IQ was assessed for all sharing patients using &Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale.” Results 170 (%56.7) of the 300 selected patients were females and 130 (%43.3) were males, 260 of them attended regular schools. Out of the total number of patients 155 (51.67%) presented with acute illness, while 145 (48.33%) had chronic illnesses. Mean IQ score was (79.8± 15.2) and only 67 (22.3%) of the sample had an 'average” IQ. Gender based comparison of IQ results revealed that female patients had significantly higher IQ scores (82.2±13.6 with p=0.035). Conclusions The current status of psychiatric problems in pediatric physically ill patients assures the mandatory cooperation in pediatric consultation-liaison (C-L) services in Beni Suef Governorate.