Outpatient Child Psychiatry Research Articles

Social skills programme for adolescents with depression: initial outcomes of a hospital based study in Sri Lanka

ObjectiveThis quasi-experimental study aimed to describe the outcome of a social skills intervention for adolescents with depression followed up at an outpatient Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit. Twenty adolescents with depression attending a tertiary care facility in Colombo, Sri Lanka were recruited, who participated in two social skills training programmes (6 months apart), in addition to pharmacological treatment. Outcome of the programme was measured by a self-administered questionnaire that assessed perceived changes in social skills, before and after the intervention. Wilcoxon Signed Rank test was used to determine the statistical significance of improvement in social skills.ResultsThe sample consisted of 80% (n = 16) female adolescents. Median scores (inter-quartile range) for social skills before and after the first social skills programme were 31.5 (21.0–36.0) and 33.0 (28.25–40.25) respectively, indicating a significant improvement in social skills following intervention (p = 0.011, r = 0.57). A similar improvement was observed after the second programme (n = 10), reporting higher median scores for social skills after intervention (29.5 vs. 37.5, p = 0.005, r = 0.89). A significant improvement was also observed in perceived ability to cope with depressive thoughts after intervention (p = 0.032), indicating that social skills training can be a useful adjunct to pharmacological interventions, in the management of depression in adolescents.

Depressive symptoms and coping patterns in a sample of Egyptian mothers of ADHD children

BackgroundAttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is considered to be one of the most common neurodevelopmental conditions found in children. The global prevalence in the age group 6–17 years falls between 2 and 18%. Studies have found that mothers of ADHD children are more prone to experience depression, anxiety, social isolation, stress, and self-blame.Aims and objectivesTo assess the prevalence of depression and its severity among mothers with children found to have ADHD compared to mothers of the control group, we also investigate the coping mechanisms employed by mothers with ADHD children and identify any potential correlation between coping strategies utilized by mothers in the case group and the severity of depression.Patients and methodsIn this cross-sectional study, we recruited 100 participants from the outpatient child psychiatry clinic at Ma’amoura Psychiatric Hospital in Alexandria, Egypt. Two participant groups were assembled: Group I (case) consisted of 50 mothers whose children had ADHD, and Group II (control) consisted of 50 mothers whose children did not have ADHD. Both groups underwent the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), and Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE) inventory.ResultsA significant relationship was observed between the Beck Score and hyperactive and combined ADHD types; however, no significant correlation was found between the Beck Score and the inattentive ADHD type. Regarding the coping styles with stress, the current study’s results found that in (case group) turning to religion had the highest sub-scale mean, followed by seeking social support and emotional support, while the lowest sub-scale score mean was humor, followed by denial. By employing univariate logistic regression analysis to identify depression predictors in group I, the results showed that the increase in the score of less useful coping by 1 was a probable factor to increase the possibility of depression by OR = 1.438 (1.186–1.743). Combined and hyperactive ADHD types were found to increase the risk of depression by OR 6.706 (1.309–34.353).ConclusionDepressive complaints were more prevalent among mothers of children with ADHD compared to the control group. We found a statistically important relationship between Beck Depression Scores (depressive symptom severity) in mothers with ADHD children and having hyperactive or combined ADHD types in their children. We also found a statistically significant positive correlation between the severity of depression and some coping styles as turning to religion and seeking social support.

Investigation of the Relationship Between Internet Addiction, Food Addiction and Impulsivity in Adolescents Presenting at the Child Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between Internet addiction, food addiction, and impulsivity in children and adolescents aged 12-18 years who presented at the child psychiatry outpatient clinic of a university hospital. Methods: This study included 207 patients aged 12-18 years who presented at the child and adolescent psychiatry clinic. All the study participants completed the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), the Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS-11), and the Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children 2.0 (YFAS-C 2.0). Results: The individuals who scored above the IAT total score cut-off point had substantially higher scores on the YFAS-C 2.0, BIS-11 total scores, and BIS-11 cognitive impulsivity and non-planning subscale than the participants who scored below the IAT total score cut-off point. According to the results of logistic regression analysis, the YFAS-C 2.0 and BIS-11 total scores were found to be related to Internet addiction. Conclusion: The study's findings indicate that impulsivity and food addiction might be significant risk factors for Internet addiction.

Mental telehealth in a public child and adolescent psychiatry unit during the pandemic: a qualitative implementation study.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a prompt implementation of remote care, especially in mental health care. The evidence supporting this modality of care is still emerging, with few qualitative studies describing its implementation in Latin American countries. This study aims to understand the perspectives of therapists and patients regarding the use of telehealth in a child and adolescent mental health unit of a Chilean public service. This is a qualitative study. Two focus groups were defined with 14 professionals, and 16 in-depth interviews were conducted with users of an outpatient child and adolescent psychiatry unit. The data were analyzed using the grounded theory model. In the group of therapists, four main categories emerged: background of mental telehealth, implementation, mental telehealth from the therapist's position, and projections. Three main categories emerged in the patient's group: implementation, evaluation of mental telehealth users, and projections. There are elements in common between the opinions of patients and therapists. Something to note within the patient's group is that, despite accepting remote care and recognizing its positive aspects, aside from the pandemic context, they prefer face-to-face or mixed care.

Polygenic Variation Underlying Educational Attainment and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Indexes Behavior Ratings of Executive Functions in Child Psychiatry Outpatients

Objective: We leveraged common genetic variation underlying ADHD, educational attainment (EA) and cognition (COG) to understand the nature of the Behavior Rating Inventory for Executive Functions (BRIEF) and its relationship to academic functioning. Method: Participants were 991 youth, ages 7 to 17, consecutively referred for neuropsychiatric evaluation. Polygenic scores (PGS) for ADHD, EA, and COG were related to the BRIEF using regression analyses. Structural equation models were used to examine the associations between the PGS, BRIEF and academic outcomes (math, reading, and special education services [EDPLAN]). Results: After modeling the PGS together, only the EA and ADHD PGS significantly associated with the BRIEF. The BRIEF partially mediated the relationships between EA PGS with math and EDPLAN and fully mediated the relationship between ADHD PGS and EDPLAN. Conclusion: Genetic data extend evidence that the BRIEF measures a construct relevant to educational success that differs from what is indexed by cognitive testing.

Complaints, Diagnosis, Follow-up and Treatment of Patients Applying to 0-6 Years Old Child Psychiatry and Developmental Pediatrics Outpatient Clinic

Aim: By studying children aged 0-6 with outpatient and health board admissions, we aimed to contribute valuable insights to the literature on early childhood support, focusing on admission complaints, diagnosis distribution, treatments, and patient follow-ups. Materials and Methods: Between 01.08.2022 and 01.02.2022, patients aged 0-6 from Diyarbakir Gazi Yaşargil Hospital's Pediatric and Adolescent Mental Health and Developmental Pediatrics clinic, including those seeking health board evaluations, were studied. This prospective analysis examined patient demographics, complaints, diagnoses, health board interactions, treatments, and additional medical conditions. Patient follow-up data were scanned from the system for analysis before concluding the retrospective study. Results: Of the 600 patients included in the study, 337 patients came to the health board outpatient clinic, 160 to the child psychiatry outpatient clinic and 103 to the developmental pediatrics outpatient clinic. 220 (36.7%) were female and 380 (63.3%) were male. The most common presenting complaints of the patients were speech delay, mobility, report renewal and irritability. In our study, the presenting diagnoses were global developmental delay, isolated speech delay, ASD, ADHD, articulation disorder, behavioral problems, stuttering and specific learning disorder (SLD) with decreasing frequency. It was observed that 77.5% of the patients had no follow-up and the highest rates of follow-up were ADHD (67.4%) and ASD (56.9%). It was observed that 87.5% of the patients with a health board application had no follow-up. Conclusion: Determining the diagnosis, follow-up and treatments of the patients may guide the areas in which child psychiatrists and developmental pediatricians should work more intensively in the future. Early diagnosis, screening initiatives, awareness campaigns, and training for parents, teachers, and health professionals, along with telehealth, multidisciplinary strategies, and school collaborations, enhance health board applications and patient follow-up.

Assessing service usage and protective factors in a pediatric psychiatry clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Youth with developmental and pre-existing mental health conditions have been particularly vulnerable to declines in psychological functioning during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to first, analyze service usage within an outpatient child and adolescent psychiatry clinic in the months preceding and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and second, to examine associations with potential protective factors against mental health concerns in a treatment-engaged sample. Service usage was examined using clinic billing data, and reports on protective factors were gathered via parent survey of 81 children ages 6-17 years who received mental health treatment in an outpatient psychiatry clinic during the pandemic. Protective factors were assessed at the individual, family, and community levels, and included children's use of coping strategies, parental resilience, and parents' perceived social supports. Study outcomes, including mental health concerns, mental health emergencies, pandemic-related distress, and social impact of the pandemic, were analyzed via Pearson correlations and simultaneous multiple linear regressions. Findings suggest increased service usage and child coping, parental resilience, and social connectedness as factors associated with fewer mental health concerns in youth with psychiatric concerns during the pandemic. This study lends support for expanding psychiatric services with continued use of telemedicine platforms. Further, findings suggest a mental health benefit to optimizing individual, parental, and community-based resources to enhance children's psychological functioning, particularly for youth with pre-existing mental health conditions.

Differences in cognitive and academic performance during the COVID-19 pandemic in child psychiatric outpatients.

This study examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cognitive and academic functioning in 574 youth presenting for outpatient clinical neuropsychiatric evaluations. We extended the prior literature by (a) determining the extent to which academic difficulties documented in population and community samples also occurred in child psychiatric outpatients; (b) evaluating the impact of the pandemic on neuropsychological functions relevant to academic performance (overall cognition, executive functions, and graphomotor skill); and (c) investigating the moderating impact of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis. We compared cross-sectional scores on standardized measures for groups of youth evaluated at three time periods related to the COVID-19 pandemic: (a) prior to onset (PRIOR; N = 198), (b) during Year 1 (Y1; N = 149), and (c) during Year 2 (Y2; N = 227). Relative to overall cognitive ability, math scores were lower in Y1 and Y2 and reading scores were lower in Y2. Additionally, relative to overall cognitive ability, youth showed lower working memory in Y1 and lower processing speed in Y1 and Y2. Graphomotor skill and parent-rated executive functions (EF) did not vary significantly across the three time periods. ADHD status did not moderate psychometric test scores but did moderate parent-rated EF. These data suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted academic and executive functions in child psychiatry outpatients. More research is needed to understand the long-term implications for development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Outpatient Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service at a Tertiary Care Hospital of Pakistan

Objective: to determine the impact of COVID-19 on mental health care service provision and the pattern of morbidity presenting to out-patient child psychiatry services in Pakistan.
 Study Design: Cross-sectional study.
 Place and Duration of Study: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, Rawalpindi Pakistan, Medical university, from Jan 2019 to Dec 2020.
 Methodology: Hospital records for the years 2019 and 2020 were used to get data on the total number of Out-Patient Department (OPD) visits in both years, and Departmental OPD records were used to extract data on all new patients.
 Results: Two thousand two hundred thirty-two OPD visits were recorded in 2019 versus 536 in 2020, a 76% decline. Eight hundred fifty-six new patients were seen in 2019 vs 259 in 2020. The detailed OPD record analysis revealed that the predominant age group reporting was adolescents in both years. 377(44%) patients reported with behavioural problems in 2019 vs 138(53.3%) in 2019. Pharmacological management plans were used in 138(16.1%) in 2019 vs 66(25.5%) in 2019. Common Diagnoses seen in both years were not significantly different, (p=0.087). OPD records were found to have an increase in the “not mentioned category”, thus reflecting declined quality of record keeping.
 Conclusion: The COVID-19-related lockdown and pandemic led to a sharp decline in out-patient visits and deterioration and record-keeping quality. The number of children and adolescents presenting with behavioural problems increased, but the common diagnoses remained similar.Keywords: COVID-19, Child and adolescent mental health service, Child psychiatry, Pandemic, School closure.

Pathological Internet use Levels and Psychiatric Diagnoses in Adolescents Admitted to a Child Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic after Face-to-face Education Restriction Due to the Pandemic

Pathological Internet use Levels and Psychiatric Diagnoses in Adolescents Admitted to a Child Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic after Face-to-face Education Restriction Due to the Pandemic

The Psychometric Properties of the General Phubbing Scale in Adolescents

Purpose: Numerous studies indicate that the use of smartphones among adolescents has increased recently. Studies on phubbing generally focus on how parental phubbing affects adolescents. This study aims to contribute to the literature by revealing the validity and reliability of the scale measuring phubbing behavior in adolescents.
 
 Material and Methods: The sample included 206 adolescents aged 12-17 who applied to Pamukkale University Medical Faculty Hospital Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Outpatient Clinics and Kırıkkale Yüksek İhtisas Hospital Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic.
 
 Results: To evaluate the construct validity of the General Phubbing Scale (GPS) in adolescents, first and second level confirmatory factor analyses were performed. The data model fit was shown to be at an acceptable level. The general phubbing was negatively related to social connectedness and positively related to internet addiction. Test-retest analysis indicated that the subdimensions nomophobia, interpersonal conflict, self-isolation, problem acceptance, and total score were 0.82, 0.80, 0.71, 0.66 and 0.81, respectively. The coefficients of internal consistency for the subdimensions of nomophobia, interpersonal conflict, self-isolation, problem acceptance, and total score were 0.78, 0.85, 0.92, 0.77, and 0.94. Furthermore, it has been shown that the GPS structure was identical for both genders.
 
 Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the GPS can be used as a valid and reliable measurement tool for determining general phubbing levels for the clinical adolescent sample.

Sleep Disorders and Associated Factors in Children Who Admitted to the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Outpatient Clinics During the Pandemic

Sleep Disorders and Associated Factors in Children Who Admitted to the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Outpatient Clinics During the Pandemic

Functional tic-like behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic: Follow-up over 12 months.

Functional tics are included in the wide spectrum of functional movement disorders (FMDs). Their distinction from organic tics is challenging because they both phenomenologically present common features. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in functional tic-like behaviours in vulnerable children and adolescents after social media exposure. This study explores the phenomenology and course of a cohort of newly diagnosed functional tic-like behaviors. We analysed clinical data of 243 patients affected by tic disorders collected at outpatient Tourette Clinic, Child and Adolescent Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, Catania University. Among the clinical cohort with functional tic-like behaviors, we evaluated the clinical course of symptoms at follow-up visits after 6 and 12 months. Among the cohort of 243 patients referred for evaluation at our centre, 11 were diagnosed with functional tic-like behaviours. The majority of participants with functional tic-like behaviours were female with a mean age of 15 years old and presented an explosive symptom's onset. At follow-up visit after 12 months, patients with functional tic-like behaviors showed a significant variation in the severity of tics and anxiety symptoms. Conversely, depressive, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms did not significantly differ during the follow-up. Our data suggest that several characteristics in clinical course and their phenomenology can help clinicians to distinguish functional tic-like behaviours from organic tics. Our results also suggest a better outcome for tics and anxiety symptoms respect on other comorbidities. A prompt diagnosis and management not only of tics but also comorbidities are recommended, as generally conventional pharmacotherapy for tics does not have positive effects on these patients.

Clinical Audit on Record Keeping Standards at a Specialized Out-patient Child Psychiatry Service in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Journal of Medicine is the official journal of the Kandy Society of Medicine. It is a peer-reviewed journal currently published biannually. Original articles, reviews, brief reports, case reports, points of view, and letters to the editor, in all fields of medical science and practice are accepted for publication.The Sri Lanka Journal of Medicine is now indexed in DOAJ

Sleep and psychiatric symptoms in young child psychiatric outpatients - a Follow-up study.

Knowledge of the continuity of sleep problems and the associations between sleep and psychiatric symptoms in child psychiatric patients is scarce. To investigate the persistency of sleep problems and how sleep at preschool age predicts sleep problems and psychiatric symptoms at school age in child psychiatric patients. Participants (n = 68) were child psychiatry outpatients at Helsinki University Hospital in 2015-2017. Caregivers evaluated sleep with the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC) and psychiatric symptoms with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) at baseline (age 4-7years) and again at follow-up (age 8-13 years). Family background information was collected at both time points. Sleep problems at preschool age predicted sleep problems at school age (R2Adjusted = .48, p < .001). Persistent sleep problems associated strongly with the intensity of psychiatric symptoms (p = .001). Internalizing symptoms were predicted by sleep problems (p = .038) even after controlling for age, sex, and psychiatric symptoms at preschool age. Sleep problems are prevalent and persistent and relate to psychiatric symptoms in children treated at child psychiatry clinics. These results emphasize the need for identification and treatment of sleep problems in these children.

Clinical Utility of the Parent-Report Version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in Latvian Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Practice.

Background and Objectives: Screening instruments can be crucial in child and adolescent mental healthcare practice by allowing professionals to triage the patient flow in a limited resource setting and help in clinical decision making. Our study aimed to examine whether the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), with the application of the original UK-based scoring algorithm, can reliably detect children and adolescents with different mental disorders in a clinical population sample. Materials and Methods: a total of 363 outpatients aged 2 to 17 years from two outpatient child psychiatry centres in Latvia were screened with the parent-report version of the SDQ and assigned clinical psychiatric diagnoses. The ability of the SDQ to predict the clinical diagnosis in major diagnostic groups (emotional, conduct, hyperactivity, and developmental disorders) was assessed. Results: The subscales of the parent-report SDQ showed a significant correlation with the corresponding clinical diagnoses. The sensitivity of the SDQ ranged 65-78%, and the specificity was 57-78%. The discriminative ability of the SDQ, as measured by the diagnostic odds ratio, did not quite reach the level of clinical utility in specialised psychiatric settings. Conclusions: We suggest the SDQ be used in primary healthcare settings, where it can be an essential tool to help family physicians recognise children needing further specialised psychiatric evaluation. There is a need to assess the psychometric properties and validate the SDQ in a larger populational sample in Latvia, determine the population-specific cut-off scores, and reassess the performance of the scale in primary healthcare practice.

65.3 Applying the Vermont Family-Based Approach in Outpatient Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: A Model of Care, Successes, and Challenges

The presentation will describe a family-based model of healthcare delivery that is implemented in an outpatient child and adolescent psychiatry clinic, emphasizing practical and ethical challenges of implementation.

2.71 The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Learning in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Outpatients

The developmental impact of educational disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic is not yet fully understood. In cohorts of child and adolescent psychiatry outpatients referred for neuropsychiatric evaluation before and after the pandemic onset, we examined cognitive, academic, and executive functions (EFs).

La consultation unique en pédopsychiatrie pour les enfants d’âge préscolaire : intérêts et limites d’un modèle de réponse à des demandes exponentielles

IntroductionIn child psychiatry, the classic model of care, which is the therapeutic consultations, implies a continuity of care by the same therapist from the first session. The strong emotional charge which emerges from this first consultation favours the therapeutic alliance. This model requires staff resources which are often no longer available in our care systems. Depending on the area, children have to wait several months to several years to get a first appointment with a specialist. A Geneva outpatient child psychiatric unit for preschool children has experimented a different approach in which families are first seen by an experienced child psychiatrist for a single consultation (SC) with the following objectives: to reduce the waiting time before the first appointment, to relieve parental anxiety, to give initial advice and to refer families to care with another therapist if needed, either within the same unit or to another structure. ObjectivesIn this article, we examine, through an observational study, the relevance of this model, its acceptance by families and therapists, as well as its advantages and limitations. MethodsAn observational study was conducted between March 2019 and February 2020 among 79 families who benefited from this model. The data were collected in an outpatient child psychiatry unit for preschool children, the Guidance infantile, which is part of the Geneva University Hospitals. Exclusion criteria were: no French speaking, the presence of a legal third party during the session (minor protection service, lawyer), or a known clinical contraindication to a change of therapist. Four questionnaires were distributed along the study. The first and second were respectively completed by the family and the therapist immediately after the SC. The third was filled out by the family by telephone two months after the SC and the fourth was completed by the second therapist in charge of the therapy after the SC, if therapy took place in the same unit. ResultsAt the end of the 79 SCs, 41 indications for continuation of care in the Guidance were made, 26 of them also including a parallel referral to an outpatient care structure. 24 patients were referred only to outpatient care, and for 14 patients no further care was indicated or desired by the parents. The SCs lasted between 60 and 90minutes. Regarding their concern about their child, 65% of families noticed a reduction of anxiety immediately after the SC and 51% two months after the SC. 75% answered that the SC helped them to better tolerate the wait before the rest of the treatment. However, this waiting time was still perceived as too long by 22% of families. Most parents (51% after the SC and also after 2 months) perceived the change of therapist as “not problematic at all”. When the patient was redirected toward a junior therapist inside the same care unit, the written report and oral transmissions facilitated the follow-up. All of the second therapists considered that the change of clinician had no negative impact on the establishment of a therapeutic alliance. On the contrary, 63% of them noted that the SC had favored the alliance. ConclusionsGood clinical practice requires the development of therapeutic models that take into account their quality, effectiveness and cost effectiveness. The lack of child psychiatrists, together with the increase in needs, pushes us to think about new modes of care which take into account the particularity of child psychiatric care in which the therapeutic alliance constitutes a major stake. The results of this observational study show the relevance and acceptability of this model in a population of families seeking psychiatric help for preschool children. The families noted fare more advantages than inconveniences with this new practice. The majority of them appreciated the rapid management of care, which was more important to them than the continuity of care by the same therapist. The clinicians, who were mainly doubtful about this model, gave a positive evaluation, in particular by realizing that the therapeutic alliance was not negatively impacted by the change of therapist. However, this model should be applied with some flexibility by allowing a second session when clinically useful to improve the evaluation or the referral and by allowing the SC's therapist to continue the assessment and the treatment with families who are at risk of disruption of care if there is a change of therapist or an additional waiting period.

EPPOC (Ecrans en Pédopsychiatrie en Occitanie au temps du COVID) : enquête en juillet 2020 sur l’utilisation des écrans chez les enfants des services de pédopsychiatrie en Occitanie avant et pendant confinement (17 mars au 11 mai): Résultats du volet parents

The EPPOC survey (flash survey in July 2020 in outpatient and hospital child psychiatry state departments in Occitania) allowed documenting parents’ and adolescents’ view on screen use, and on the impact of the first confinement (March to May 2020) on this variable in a pedopsychiatric population. To our knowledge, no such study exists. ResultsOne hundred six parents answered for their child (3 to 18 years old, 11.2 on average). Their answers were fractioned into three age groups (45.3 % of children were in kindergarten-primary, 30. 2 % in college, and 24.5 % in high school). Children mostly use television (93.8 %) and mobile phones (81.3 %). A third of the children used their screens for more than 4hours a day on weekends, 11.7 % on weekdays: this last proportion increased to 48.6 % during confinement. A third of the children had at least one type of screen in their room: this data correlates to an increase of screen time, especially during weekends. Children mainly used screens in the afternoons and evenings, especially in the high school students group. During confinement, the number of moments (morning, noon, afternoon, evening, before bedtime, other) of screen use during the day increased for 90.4 % of them. High school students spent most of their time on videos (91.3 %), social networks (82.6 %) and listening to music (73.9 %). The youngest mainly played games (72.5 %) and watched videos (70.7 %). Screen use was a problem for 37.3 % of parents prior to confinement. They put boundaries to screen use mainly for the youngest children: this seemed to have a positive impact on their child's reduction of screen time. ConclusionThe pedopsychiatric population of our care units did not seem to have a different screen use profile than the general population, based on their parents’ perception. The main elements increasing the time spent on screens in our study were the child having a screen in his/her room, parents not limiting screen time, and home confinement. However, the adjective “intensive” used in most studies to describe screen use should be redefined to include the child's age, the type of screen use (type of screens, type of activity, activity shared by the parent or not, etc.), the impact on the user's daily life and the level of addiction which should nuance the notion. Describing screen use and whether one should worry about it is a complex issue. The number of hours spent on screens is not a sufficient criterion. One should add the number of moments during the day when the screens are used, and the type of practice as well as a dependency score. These parameters altogether would better characterize the impact of screen use in daily life, and how much it occupies one's mind. In addition, sharing these tools would allow the caregivers to have a useful framework of discussion with the patients.