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. 2019 Jan 30:29:e15.
doi: 10.1017/S2045796018000793.

Prevalence of DSM-5 mental disorders in a nationally representative sample of children in Taiwan: methodology and main findings

Yi-Lung Chen  1   2 , Wei J Chen  2   3 , Kuan-Chia Lin  4 , Lih-Jong Shen  5 , Susan Shur-Fen Gau  1   2   6
Affiliations

Prevalence of DSM-5 mental disorders in a nationally representative sample of children in Taiwan: methodology and main findings

Yi-Lung Chen et al. Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci. .

Abstract

Aims: There has been a lack of prevalence estimates of DSM-5 mental disorders in child populations at the national level worldwide. This study estimated the lifetime and 6-month prevalence of mental disorders according to the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria in Taiwanese children.

Methods: Taiwan's National Epidemiological Study of Child Mental Disorders used the stratified cluster sampling to select 69 schools in Taiwan resulting in a nationally representative sample of 4816 children in grades 3 (n = 1352), 5 (n = 1297) and 7 (n = 2167). All the participants underwent face-to-face psychiatric interviews using the Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Epidemiological version, modified for the DSM-5, and they and their parents completed questionnaires. The inverse probability censoring weighting (IPCW)-adjusted prevalence was reported to minimise non-response bias.

Results: The IPCW-adjusted prevalence rates of mental disorders decreased by 0.1-0.5% than raw weighted prevalence. The IPCW-adjusted weighted lifetime and 6-month prevalence rates for overall mental disorders were 31.6 and 25.0%, respectively. The most prevalent mental disorders (lifetime, 6-month) were anxiety disorders (15.2, 12.0%) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (10.1, 8.7%), followed by sleep disorders, tic disorders, oppositional defiant disorder and autism spectrum disorder. The prevalence rates of new DSM-5 mental disorders, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder and disruptive mood dysregulation disorder were low (<1%).

Conclusions: Our findings, similar to the DSM-IV prevalence rates reported in Western countries, indicate that DSM-5 mental disorders are common in the Taiwanese child population and suggest the need for public awareness, early detection and prevention.

Keywords: Children; DSM-5; epidemiology; national survey; prevalence.

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Conflict of interest statement

None.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Sampling Procedure and Participant's Recruitment in the Taiwan's National Epidemiological Study of Child Mental Disorders.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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