Patterns of mental disorders in a nationwide child psychiatric sample (N=67,815): A DREAMS study

ObjectiveTo provide a comprehensive overview of the prevalence and comorbidity patterns of mental disorders in a large, nationwide child and adolescent psychiatry sample. MethodsWe retrieved data on DSM diagnoses from medical records of children (0.5-23 years old) who received care at a DREAMS center between 2015 and 2019. DREAMS is a consortium of four academic centers for child and adolescent psychiatry in the Netherlands that provide both outpatient and inpatient care. Diagnoses were assigned in regular clinical practice. ResultsBetween 2015 and 2019, 67,815 children received care at a DREAMS center (age at admission M=11.0 years, SD=4.3; 59.7% male). Of these children, 48,342 (71.3%) had a registered DSM disorder. The most prevalent primary diagnoses were ASD (34.1%), ADHD (24.4%) and trauma and stressor-related disorders (8.7%). Approximately half of all children (47.4%) had at least one comorbid diagnosis, of which intellectual disabilities were the most prevalent (14.0%). ConclusionDiagnostic patterns across sex and age as well as comorbidity patterns were generally consistent with previous research, but the prevalence of ASD and ADHD was higher than in other studies. Real-world diagnostic information such as presented here is essential to understand the use of DSM-5 in clinical practice, put differences between contexts and countries into perspective, and ultimately improve our diagnostic protocols and treatments.