A Clinical Psychiatric Study of Non-Psychotic Young Adolescents.

Background : Only a few clinical psychiatric studies have been done on adolescents in India. Non-psychotic psychiatric disorders in Indian adolescents require greater clinical attention. Aim: To clinically evaluate, diagnose and classify non-psychotic adolescents, aged 13 to 16 years, attending the child and adolescent psychiatry OPD. Methods and Material : 40 subjects were assessed on Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia, Present and Lifetime version (K-SADS-PL) or clinically for non-psychotic clinical psychiatric disorders. ‘Parent Interview Schedule’ and ‘Interview Schedule for Children’ were used to assess abnormal psychosocial situations, and Children’s Global Assessment Scale for psychosocial disability. Subjects were diagnosed using ICD-10 DCR and ICD-10 multi-axial classification. Results: Common adolescent non-psychotic psychiatric disorders found were mood disorders (27.5%), conduct disorder (17.5%) and dissociative disorder (12.5%). 7.5% adolescents had a specific disorder of psychological development. Abnormal psychosocial situations were present in 40% of the adolescents. Nearly half the adolescents (47.5%) had moderate social disability. Comorbidity was present in 17.5% adolescents. Conclusion :Common imparing psychiatric disorders among young clinic adolescents were mood disorders, conduct disorders, and dissociative disorders. More and larger studies in Indian general population and clinic settings are needed in this age group.