Diagnósticos psiquiátricos en una cohorte de escolares de primer año de enseñanza básica del área occidente de Santiago / Psychiatric diagnosis in a cohort of school children from the western area of Santiago de Chile

ABSTRACT

Psychiatric evaluation was performed in a sample of 99 children at 7 schools of West Santiago, representative of a cohort of 684 children attending first grade basic course during 1993, previously assesed by parents and teachers questionnaires. Syndromatic, psychosocial and dissability diagnosis was done according to ICD-10 criteria, using a semistructured interview. 24.2 percent of children had a syndromatic diagnosis, 53,4 percent a psychosocial diagnosis and disability was found in 17.2 percent. Disorder of Activity and Attention was the most frequent diagnosis, followed by Non Organic Enuresis and adaptation disorders. Children with a syndromatic diagnosis showed significantly more abnormal psychosocial situations and disability than children without diagnosis. 43.4 percent had 2 or more psychosocial diagnoses. 10 percent of the entire sample had a family member with mental disorder. Positive correlations were found between psychiatric diagnosis, high score on first stage questionnaires and need for behavioral evaluation percieved by teachers in boys and girsl. Results are compared with chilean and international literature, and ICD-10 criteria are discussed