Sawyer M G, Arney F M, Baghurst P A, Clark J J, Graetz B W, Kosky R J, Nurcombe B, Patton G C, Prior M R, Raphael B, Rey J M, Whaites L C, Zubrick S R
Research and Evaluation Unit, Women's and Children's Hospital, North Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2001 Dec;35(6):806-14. doi: 10.1046/j.1440-1614.2001.00964.x.
To identify the prevalence of three mental disorders (Depressive Disorder, Conduct Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), the prevalence of mental health problems, the health-related quality of life of those with problems, and patterns of service utilisation of those with and without mental health problems, among 4-17-year-olds in Australia. To identify rates of health-risk behaviours among adolescents with mental health problems.
The mental disorders were assessed using the parent-version of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children Version IV. Parents completed the Child Behaviour Checklist to identify mental health problems and standard questionnaires to assess health-related quality of life and service use. The Youth Risk Behaviour Questionnaire completed by adolescents was employed to identify health-risk behaviours.
Fourteen percent of children and adolescents were identified as having mental health problems. Many of those with mental health problems had problems in other areas of their lives and were at increased risk for suicidal behaviour. Only 25% of those with mental health problems had attended a professional service during the six months prior to the survey.
Child and adolescent mental health problems are an important public health problem in Australia. The appropriate balance between funding provided for clinical interventions focusing on individual children and families and funding for interventions that focus on populations, requires careful study. The latter are an essential component of any strategy to reduce mental health problems as the high prevalence of problems makes it unlikely that individual care will ever be available for all those needing help. Clinical and population health interventions must take into account the comorbid problems experienced by children with mental disorders.
确定澳大利亚4至17岁儿童中三种精神障碍（抑郁症、品行障碍和注意力缺陷/多动障碍）的患病率、心理健康问题的患病率、有问题者的健康相关生活质量，以及有和没有心理健康问题者的服务利用模式。确定有心理健康问题的青少年中的健康风险行为发生率。
使用儿童诊断访谈量表第四版家长版对精神障碍进行评估。家长们完成儿童行为清单以确定心理健康问题，并完成标准问卷以评估健康相关生活质量和服务使用情况。青少年完成的青少年风险行为问卷用于确定健康风险行为。
14%的儿童和青少年被确定存在心理健康问题。许多有心理健康问题的人在生活的其他方面也存在问题，且自杀行为风险增加。在调查前六个月内，只有25%有心理健康问题的人接受过专业服务。
儿童和青少年心理健康问题是澳大利亚一个重要的公共卫生问题。为关注个体儿童和家庭的临床干预提供的资金与为关注人群的干预提供的资金之间的适当平衡，需要仔细研究。后者是任何减少心理健康问题战略的重要组成部分，因为问题的高患病率使得不太可能为所有需要帮助的人提供个体护理。临床和人群健康干预必须考虑到患有精神障碍的儿童所经历的共病问题。
