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Mental health disorders, care increase among military children in US
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BALTIMORE — Mental health diagnoses and care significantly increased among military-connected children within the last 15 years, according to data presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting.
To determine trends in the prevalence of diagnosed mental health conditions and treatment among military children, Elizabeth J. Hisle-Gorman, MSW, PhD, of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Md., and colleagues analyzed data for all children aged 2 to 18 years who received care in the Military Healthcare System from October 2001 through September 2015. The study cohort included children who had at least one inpatient or outpatient visit in the Military Healthcare System in a given year.
Overall, between 1.45 and 1.7 million children received care in the Military Healthcare System each year.
In 2001, 9.6% of children had one or more mental health diagnosis, compared with 15.9% in 2015.
There was an average 3.6% yearly increase in pediatric mental health diagnoses during the 15-year period (P < .001).
Visits for children with mental health diagnoses increased from 6.1 to 12.1 per person-year, with an average yearly increase of 5.7% per year (P < .001).
Diagnoses of adjustment, anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity and conduct, cognitive, childhood, impulse control, mood, psychotic disorders and suicidal ideation significantly increased from 2001 to 2015. Personality disorders did not increase during the study period.
“These military results mirror national estimates that 9% of all children had a mental health diagnosis in 1996 to 1998, and 13% had a diagnosis in 2010 to 2012,” Hisle-Gorman said in a press release. “The results also suggest that there is an increasing need for pediatric mental health care professionals to provide needed care.” – by Amanda Oldt
Reference:
Hisle-Gorman EJ, et al. Increasing mental health diagnoses and visits for military-connected children. Presented at: Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting; April 30-May 3, 2016; Baltimore.
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