[Psychosomatic and psychosocial diagnoses at the Zurich University pediatric clinic. A retrospective study of ambulatory patients 1973 to 1982].

This study analyses the number and distribution of children (n = 97,161) attending the medical out-patient service at the University Children's Hospital of Zurich with psychiatric diagnoses during the years 1973-1982. The average prevalence (one-year periods) of the patients with psychiatric diagnoses represents 17.8%, the incidence (ten-year period) represents 20.5%. In the group of patients with psychiatric diagnoses, the percentage of children having a psychosomatic diagnosis is 57.2%, the percentage of psychosocial diagnoses is 42.8% (29.9% developmental disturbance, 5.8% psychoreactive syndromes, 4.0% psychoorganic syndromes, 2.8% mental retardation, 0.3% psychosis). 58.7% of the patients with psychiatric diagnoses are boys, 41.3% girls; age-frequency demonstrates the following distribution: 1-4 years 22.6%, 5-7 years 19.3%, 8-10 years 19.5%, 11-13 years 18.5%, 14-16 years 14.5%, 17-20 years 5.6%. The data of this study document the importance of psychosomatic and psychosocial phenomena in childhood and adolescence. They have implications for the content of educational programs and research efforts.