WHO Child Atlas Project

Abstract

Mental and behavioural problems during childhood and adolescence are a serious public-health concern. About half of all lifetime mental disorders begin before the age of 14 years. 1 Kessler RC Berglund PMBA Demler O et al. Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Study Replication. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2005; 62: 593-602 Crossref PubMed Scopus (12641) Google Scholar Worldwide prevalence rates for child and adolescent mental disorders are around 20%, with similar types of disorders across cultures. 2 WHOWorld Health Report 2001—mental health: new understanding, new hope. World Health Organization, Geneva2001 Google Scholar , 3 Verhulst FC Epidemiology as a basis for the conception and planning of services. in: Remschmidt H Belfer ML Goodyer I Facilitating pathways: care, treatment, and prevention in child and adolescent mental health. Springer Verlag, Berlin2004: 3-15 Crossref Google Scholar Information about the lifetime financial costs and long-term morbidity associated with mental disorders that begin in childhood is beginning to be reported. 4 Weissman MM Wolk S Goldstein RB et al. Depressed adolescents grown up. JAMA. 1999; 281: 1707-1713 Crossref PubMed Scopus (731) Google Scholar , 5 Kotler LA Cohen P Davies M et al. Longitudinal relationships between childhood, adolescent, and adult eating disorders. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2001; 40: 1434-1440 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (258) Google Scholar , 6 Leibson CL Katusic SK Barbaresi WJ Ransom L O'Brien PC Use and costs of medical care for children and adolescents with and without attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. JAMA. 2001; 285: 60-66 Crossref PubMed Scopus (314) Google Scholar , 7 Leslie DL Rosenheck RA Horwitz SM Patterns of mental health utilization and costs among children in a privately insured population. Health Serv Res. 2001; 36: 113-127 PubMed Google Scholar , 8 Scott S Knapp M Henderson J et al. Financial cost of social exclusion: follow-up study of anti-social children into adulthood. BMJ. 2001; 322: 191-195 Crossref Google Scholar , 9 Woodward LJ Fergusson DM Life course outcomes of young people with anxiety disorders in adolescence. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2001; 40: 1086-1093 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (646) Google Scholar Despite these findings, which were anecdotal for decades, the gap in mental-health services for children and adolescents with mental disorders is evident in virtually all countries at a time when the need has never been greater.