Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Changes in referrals to child and adolescent psychiatric services in Norway 1992–2001

  • ORIGINAL PAPER
  • Published:
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract.

Background:

The study analyzes changes in types of problems referred to child and adolescent psychiatry in Norway from 1992 to 2001, and investigates if referral practices and media attention account for these changes.

Method:

All referrals to child and adolescent psychiatry in Norway in the period 1992–2001 were analyzed, as well as frequencies of articles in media on psychiatric problems.

Results:

The shares of referrals for sadness/depression increased from 0.5 % to 15.4%. Referrals for hyperactivity/attention problems increased from 1.2 % to 13.6%. The increases could be statistically attributed to decreased use of other referral categories, and/or alternatively to media attention on these and related topics. Convergence between diagnosis and corresponding referral problem increased in the period.

Conclusions:

Referrals for sadness/depression and hyperactivity/attention problems increased sharply in Norway during the 1990s. This increase may be attributed to a different understanding of and a sharper look at these problems by referral agencies and by increased media attention.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Achenbach TM (1991) Manual for the Child Behavior Checklist 4–18 and 1991 Profile. University of Vermont: Department of Psychiatry, Burlington

    Google Scholar 

  2. Achenbach TM, Dumenci L, Rescorla LA (2003) Are American children’s problems still getting worse? A 23-year comparison. J Abnorm Child Psychol 31:1–11

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Achenbach TM, Howell CT (1993) Are American children’s problems getting worse? A 13-year comparison. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 32:1145–1154

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Achenbach TM, Dumenci L, Rescorla LA (2002) Is American student behavior getting worse? Teacher ratings over an 18-year period. School Psychology Review 31:428–442

    Google Scholar 

  5. Verhulst FC, van der Ende J (1997) Factors associated with child mental health service use in the community. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 36:901–909

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Prosser J, McArdle P (1996) The changing mental health of children and adolescents: evidence for a deterioration? Psychol Med 26:715–725

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Fombonne E (1998) Increased rates of psychosocial disorders in youth. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 248:14–21

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Fombonne E (1996) Is bulimia nervosa increasing in frequency? Int J Eat Disord 19:287–296

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Klerman GL, Weissman MM (1989) Increasing rates of depression. JAMA 261:2229–2235

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Lewinsohn PM, Rohde P, Seeley JR, Fischer SA (1993) Age-cohort changes in the lifetime occurrence of depression and other mental disorders. J Abnorm Psychol 102:110–120

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Fombonne E (1998) Suicidal behaviours in vulnerable adolescents. Time trends and their correlates. Br J Psychiatry 173:154–159

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Wu P, Hoven CW, Bird HR, Moore RE, Cohen P, Alegria M, Dulcan MK, Goodman SH, McCue Horwitz S, Lichtman JH, Narrow WE, Rae DS, Regier DA, Roper MT (1999) Depressive and disruptive disorders and mental health service utilization in children and adolescents. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 38:1081–1090

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Angold A, Erkanli A, Farmer EM, Fairbank JA, Burns BJ, Keeler G, Costello EJ (2002) Psychiatric disorder, impairment, and service use in rural African American and white youth. Arch Gen Psychiatry 59:893–901

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Angold A, Costello EJ, Worthman CM (1998) Puberty and depression: the roles of age, pubertal status and pubertal timing. Psychol Med 28:51–61

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Mesman J, Koot HM (2000) Child-reported depression and anxiety in preadolescence: I. Associations with parent- and teacher-reported problems. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 39:1371–1378

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Cohen P, Hesselbart CS (1993) Demographic factors in the use of children’s mental health services. Am J Public Health 83:49–52

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. Rössler W, Riecher A, Löffler W, Fatkenheuer B (1991) Community care in child psychiatry. An empirical approach using the concept of travel time. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 26:28–33

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Falck S Barne- og ungdomskriminaliteti Norge på nittitallet (2000) Det kriminalitetsforebyggende råd, Oslo

  19. Wichstrom L (2000) Predictors of adolescent suicide attempts: a nationally representative longitudinal study of Norwegian adolescents. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 39:603–610

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Wichstrøm L (1995) Social, psychological and physical correlates of eating problems. A study of the general adolescent population in Norway. Psychol Med 25:567–579

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Wichstrøm L, Grøholt B, Rossow I (2004) Changes in depressive symptoms and eating problems among Norwegian Adolescents 1992–2002. Manuscript Submitted for Publication

  22. Statistics Norway (2003), Oslo

  23. Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Drug Consumption in Norway (2002) Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo

  24. Ytterhus A (1991) Årbok norsk barne-og ungdomspsykiatri. Prosjekt Data i BUP, Lillehammer

  25. Biederman J, Mick E, Faraone SV, Braaten E, Doyle A, Spencer T, Wilens TE, Frazier E, Johnson MA (2002) Influence of gender on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children referred to a psychiatric clinic. Am J Psychiatry 159:36–42

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Gaub M, Carlson CL (1997) Gender differences in ADHD:a metaanalysis and critical review. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 36:1036–1045

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Robison LM, Skaer TL, Sclar DA, Galin RS (2002) Is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder increasing among girls in the US? Trends in diagnosis and the prescribing of stimulants. CNS Drugs 16:129–137

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Carlson CL, Tamm L, Gaub M (1997) Gender differences in children with ADHD, ODD, and co-occurring ADHD/ODD identified in a school population. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 36:1706–1014

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Storvoll EE, Wichstrom L (2002) Do the risk factors associated with conduct problems in adolescents vary according to gender? J Adolesc 25:183–202

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Nolen-Hoeksema S (1991) Responses to depression and their effects on the duration of depressive episodes. J Abnorm Psychol 100:569–582

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Wade TJ, Cairney J, Pevalin DJ (2002) Emergence of gender differences in depression during adolescence: national panel results from three countries. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 41:190–198

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Wichstrom L (1999) The emergence of gender difference in depressed mood during adolescence: the role of intensified gender socialization. Dev Psychol 35:232–245

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Nordlandssykehuset, 8000, Bodø, Norway

    Bjørn Reigstad & Kirsti Jørgensen

  2. Dept. of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway

    Lars Wichstrøm PhD

Authors
  1. Bjørn Reigstad
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kirsti Jørgensen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Lars Wichstrøm PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bjørn Reigstad.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Reigstad, B., Jørgensen, K. & Wichstrøm, L. Changes in referrals to child and adolescent psychiatric services in Norway 1992–2001. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 39, 818–827 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-004-0822-9

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-004-0822-9

Key words

Search

Navigation