ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This study examined the prevalence of psychiatric problems in children with scholastic difficulties who had been referred for mental health services from the Office of Education in Ulsan Metropolitan City. METHODS: Child psychiatrists evaluated the referred children using the DSM-IV. Evaluation tools included the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-III, the Children's Depression Inventory, the Korean form of the State-trait anxiety Inventory for children, the ADHD rating. RESULTS: Seventy-six children consisting of 64 boys (84.2%) and 12 girls (15.8%) participated in the study. The average age was 10.3 (SD=0.93) years old. Approximately 74% of the children referred for scholastic difficulties were diagnosed with mental retardation. The Axis I diagnosis among these children were ADHD (86.8%), depression (21.1%), learning disorder (9.2%), communication disorder (4.8%), pervasive developmental disorder (3.6%), internet addiction (1.3%), and mood disorder (1.3%). Their overall measure according to the Child Depression Inventory was 22.7 (SD=16.8), that for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children was 33.3 (SD=7.9)/32.4 (SD=9.5), and that for the ADHD rating scale was 18.9 (SD=10.9). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that many children with scholastic difficulties have both complex psychiatric and educational problems.