Characteristics of children with a psychiatric disorder in 1999, 2004 and 2017: An analysis of the national child mental health surveys of England
Armitage, JM; Newlove-Delgado, T; Ford, T; et al.McManus, S; Collishaw, S
Date: 2024
Article
Journal
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
Publisher
Wiley
Abstract
Background: While research has described the profile of children with poor mental health, little is
known about whether this profile and their needs have changed over time. Our aim was to
investigate whether levels of difficulties and functional impact faced by children with a psychiatric
disorder have changed over time, and whether ...
Background: While research has described the profile of children with poor mental health, little is
known about whether this profile and their needs have changed over time. Our aim was to
investigate whether levels of difficulties and functional impact faced by children with a psychiatric
disorder have changed over time, and whether sociodemographic and family correlates have
changed.
Methods: Samples were three national probability surveys undertaken in England in 1999, 2004, and
2017 including children aged 5 to 15 years. Psychiatric disorders were assessed using the
Development and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA), a standardised multi-informant diagnostic tool
based on the tenth International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). The impact and difficulties of
having a disorder (emotional, behavioural or hyperkinetic) were compared over time using total
difficulty and impact scores from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Analyses
explored the impact of having any disorder, as well as for each disorder separately. Regression
Analyses
explored the impact of having any disorder, as well as for each disorder separately. Regression
analyses compared associations between disorder and sociodemographic factors over time.
Results: Parent and adolescent reported total SDQ difficulty and impact scores increased between
1999 and 2017 for children and adolescents with disorder. No differences were noted when using
teacher ratings. No differences in total SDQ difficulty score were found for children without disorder.
Comparison of sociodemographic correlates across the surveys over time revealed that ethnic
minority status, living in rented accommodation, and being in the lowest income quintile had a
weaker association with disorder in 2017 compared to 1999.
Conclusions: Our study reveals a concerning trend; children with disorder in 2017 experienced more
severe difficulties and greater impact on functioning at school, home, and in their daily lives,
compared to children in earlier decades. These findings underline the urgency for research and
policy to identify and address the wider influences which may be increasingly affecting children’s
ability to thrive.
Public Health and Sport Sciences
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
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