By Patricia Reaney
LONDON (Reuters) – Pre-school children can show early signs
of a mental disorder which can be diagnosed and treated to
prevent problems later in life, a leading psychologist said on
Monday.
Children as young as 2 or 3 years may suffer from
depression, anxiety, disruptive behavior and attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
“A lot of substantial psychiatric problems are actually
starting and are identifiable much earlier than we ever
thought,” said Adrian Angold of Duke University in North
Carolina.
“Early-onset depression is thought to begin in the teenage
years but in fact it is turning out to be as early as we can
begin to measure it. We ought to be thinking much more about
who are the children who already have these disorders.”
In a study of 307 pre-school children based on interviews
with parents in the United States, Angold found that about 17
percent met standard criteria for having a mental disorder.
“About one in 10 have symptoms that meet criteria for a
disorder plus also have some significant impairment to leading
a normal life,” said Angold, who presented the research at a
meeting of the Institute of Psychiatry in London.
Early signs of problems include hyperactivity, difficulty
concentrating, aggressiveness, disruptiveness, difficulty
playing with other children and social and separation anxiety.
“We are talking about patterns of behavior,” said Angold.
“What is striking about this is that it suggests that the rate
(of disorders) in these much younger children, aged 2-5, are
not very different from what they will be in children of 9 or
14.”
He admitted that some children will grow out of the
problems but added that others would benefit from treatment
such as behavioral therapy, psychotherapy and medication.
The diagnosis of a disorder in young children is based
mainly on information from parents and teachers. Angold said
there is little medical evidence for treating anxiety and
depression in young children but youngsters with disturbed
behavioral problems could benefit from treatment.
“There is good evidence that if you intervene relatively
early on with parent-training programs it could be very
helpful,” he added.
“These are kids who deserve to be taken notice of by the
mental health system. The vast majority of them have not been
identified and receive no treatment.”
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