With the reclassification and more awareness regarding children's mental health illnesses, more kids are being diagnosed. However, a new study has found that a majority kids who have been diagnosed with mental health issues see only their pediatricians.
It was reported that 1 in 3 children are more likely to get mental healthcare attention from a family doctor as opposed to a specialist, reports CBS News.
The main objective of the study was to compare the mental health care US children receive from primary care providers (PCPs) and other mental health care providers. Using data from a nationally representative survey with information - collected between 2008 and 2011 -- about some 43,000 children between the ages of two to 21, the study conducted by researchers from Boston's Massachusetts General Hospital for Children revealed that 35 percent of outpatient children being treated for some mental health illness are being treated by their primary care physician only. Likewise, 26 percent saw a psychiatrist, and 15 percent were working with either a psychologist or social worker.
In addition it was found that a larger proportion of children diagnosed with attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) versus children with anxiety/ mood disorders saw a PCP only (41.8% vs 17.2%). PCPs prescribed medications to a higher percentage of children than did psychiatrists.
According to Dr. Jeanne Van Cleave, a MassGeneral Hospital pediatrician, the lead author of the study, "There just aren't enough child psychiatrists in the United States to treat every child with a mental health condition," quoted Web MD. "Given that, any efforts to improve the quality of mental health care for children would be wise or appropriate to focus on improvements in primary health care, since that is where a lot of that care is happening."
The study emphasized the critical role that PCPs have in caring for children with mental health conditions. Per Healthline, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that currently, millions of children in the United States live with depression, anxiety, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, Tourette syndrome and other mental health issues.
Approximately 11 percent of children under the age of 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD as of 2011. Of this 11 percent, less than half of the 6.4 million kids actually receive the recommended care, which is composed of both therapy and medication.
The study was published Monday in the journal Pediatrics with the title, "Outpatient Visits and Medication Prescribing for US Children With Mental Health Conditions."
