Mental Health Diagnoses among Children and Adolescents with Chronic Medical Conditions in a Large Urban Cohort.

Abstract

We analyzed data for 6,458 children with chronic conditions. The most prevalent diagnoses were mood disorders (8.6%), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; 7.4%), conduct disorders (6.1%), and anxiety disorders (4.8%). Adjusted odds of having a mental health diagnosis increased with age for mood disorders and anxiety disorders and decreased with age for ADHD and conduct disorders. When compared with females, males had lower odds of being diagnosed with mood and anxiety disorders and higher odds of being diagnosed with ADHD and conduct disorders. Blacks had lower odds of being diagnosed with anxiety, mood disorders, and ADHD than children in the other racial category. Hispanics had lower odds of being diagnosed with ADHD than children in the other racial category. Racial/ethnic minorities were less likely to have a mental health diagnosis than children in the other race/ethnicity category, which suggests under identification of mental health needs particularly in minority children.