Epidemiological Characterization of Patients in the Outpatient Clinic of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry of a University Hospital in Paraguay: A Three-Year Study

Authors

  • Pamela Figueredo Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Departamento de Psiquiatría de la Infancia y la Adolescencia. San Lorenzo, Paraguay https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1364-7471
  • Iván Barrios Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Filial Santa Rosa del Aguaray, Cátedra de Bioestadística. Santa Rosa del Aguaray, Paraguay. Universidad Sudamericana, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Sede Salto del Guairá. Salto del Guairá, Paraguay https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6843-7685
  • Tomás Caycho-Rodríguez Universidad Científica del Sur. Lima, Perú https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5349-7570
  • João Mauricio Castaldelli-Maia Fundación de ABC, Departamento de Neurociencia. Santo André, São Paulo, Brasil. Universidad de São Paulo, Departamento de Psiquiatría. São Paulo, Brasil https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9621-2291
  • Antonio Ventriglio Universidad de Foggia, Departamento de Medicina Clínica y Experimental. Foggia, Italia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3934-7007
  • Julio Torales Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Departamento de Psiquiatría de la Infancia y la Adolescencia. San Lorenzo, Paraguay. Universidad Sudamericana, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Sede Salto del Guairá. Salto del Guairá, Paraguay. Universidad Nacional de Caaguazú, Instituto Regional de Investigación en Salud. Coronel Oviedo, Paraguay https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3277-7036

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18004/mem.iics/1812-9528/2024.e22162401

Keywords:

Mental disorders, epidemiology, children, adolescents, Paraguay

Abstract

he topic of mental health in children and adolescents requires increased attention. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the characteristics of outpatient clinic patients at a specialized center within a Paraguayan University Hospital. This study employed a retrospective, non-probabilistic series of consecutive cases. The medical records of patients of both sexes, aged between 2 and 17 years, who sought consultation at the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry of the Hospital de Clínicas between July 2021 and July 2023, and were diagnosed with a mental disorder according to the ICD-10, were examined. Demographic and clinical data were collected from 447 patients, representing 1278 consultations. The majority of the patients were female (57.7%), with a mean age of 13 ± 3 years. Most patients (57.3%) were from the Central Department, 61.5% were from rural areas, and 72% did not have medical insurance. The most frequent diagnoses were depressive episodes (F32), other anxiety disorders (F41), conduct disorders (F91), and specific personality disorders (F60). The findings of this study provide crucial information on child and adolescent mental health, which is essential for informing mental health policies, allocating resources, and training healthcare professionals tasked with caring for this patient group.

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References

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Published

2023-03-15

How to Cite

Figueredo, P., Barrios, I., Caycho-Rodríguez, T., Castaldelli-Maia, J. M., Ventriglio, A., & Torales, J. (2023). Epidemiological Characterization of Patients in the Outpatient Clinic of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry of a University Hospital in Paraguay: A Three-Year Study. Memorias Del Instituto De Investigaciones En Ciencias De La Salud, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.18004/mem.iics/1812-9528/2024.e22162401

Issue

Section

Comunicaciones cortas

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