MENTAL DISORDERS OF CHILDREN HOSPITALIZED IN A PEDIATRIC WARD. A STATISTICAL AND PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Introduction:The global prevalence (pooled-prevalence) of mental illnesses in children and adolescents is 13.4%, the prevalence of anxiety disorders is 6.5%, of depressive disorders 2.6%, and of activity and attention disorders 3.4 %. Materials and Methods: This research represents a 4-year retrospective study, including cases of continuous hospitalization, conducted in the Bistrita Emergency County Hospital, pediatrics department. The cases with the main discharge diagnostic code F were selected. The aim of the study was to analyze the diagnoses from a statistical and psychotherapeutic point of view. Results: In the case of patients with the main diagnosis coded with the letter F, the relative value (RV) of the case is higher than the pacient complexity index (PCI) of the section in most cases, in other words the complexity of these cases is higher than the average complexity of the section’s cases. The length of stay index (LOS) for psychiatric patients is most often a lower value than the average length of hospitalization (ALOS), or the length of hospitalization of psychiatric cases is shorter than the average length of hospitalization of the entire department. The most frequent group F diagnoses found are: F98.9 - Unspecified behavioral and emotional disorders with onset usually in childhood and adolescence, F98.8 - Other specified disorders of behavioral and emotional disorders with onset usually in childhood and adolescence, F90 .1 - Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, predominantly hyperactive type , F90.0 - Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, predominantly inattentive type, F92.0 - Depressive conduct disorder, F41.0 - Panic disorder (paroxysmal episodic anxiety) without agoraphobia, F71.0 - Moderate mental retardation with declaration of a minimal or no behavioral impairments, F90.0 - Disturbance of activity and attention, F93.8 - Other emotional disorders of childhood, F98.0 - Nonorganic enuresis. Conclusions: Diagnoses labeled F98 (Other behavioral and emotional disorders with usual onset in childhood and adolescence) were the most common. The complexity and non-specificity of pathologies can justify the importance of some psychotherapeutic interventions among diagnosed patients both during the respective episode of hospitalization and especially after discharge, for the good recovery and psycho-emotional development of children.