Assessment and Diagnostic Classification Using DC:0-5 in Early Childhood Mental Health Clinics: The Protocol for the Developmental Psychiatry Diagnostic Challenges Study (DePsy)
Katja Bödeker,
Laura M. Watrin-Avino,
Annick Martin,
Franziska Schlensog-Schuster,
Marius Janssen,
Lennart Friese,
Maria Licata-Dandel,
Volker Mall,
Juliane Teich-Bělohradský,
Yonca Izat,
Christoph U. Correll,
Eva Möhler,
Frank W. Paulus
Affiliations
Katja Bödeker
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
Laura M. Watrin-Avino
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
Annick Martin
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Leipzig University Medical Center, Liebigstrasse 20a, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
Franziska Schlensog-Schuster
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Leipzig University Medical Center, Liebigstrasse 20a, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
Marius Janssen
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Münster, Schmeddingstraße 50, 48149 Münster, Germany
Lennart Friese
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Münster, Schmeddingstraße 50, 48149 Münster, Germany
Maria Licata-Dandel
kbo-Kinderzentrum Munich, Technical University of Munich, Heiglhofstraße 65, 81377 München, Germany
Volker Mall
kbo-Kinderzentrum Munich, Technical University of Munich, Heiglhofstraße 65, 81377 München, Germany
Mental health problems in early childhood are common, but there is a lack of psychiatric research on this age group. DC:0-5 is a multiaxial classification system for mental disorders in early childhood, providing a framework for standardizing clinical practice and research. However, research on the validity of DC:0-5 is scarce. The Developmental Psychiatry Diagnostic Challenges Study (DePsy) is a multi-site, prospective clinical study including six German early childhood mental health (ECMH) clinics. The main objective of the study is to contribute to the validation of Axis I and Axis II of DC:0-5. A second aim of the study is to describe the population of the participating clinics regarding diagnoses, family context, and treatment outcomes. Additionally, the impact of environmental risk factors, including parental Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and media use, on child psychopathology and caregiver–child relationships will be examined. Over two years, patients aged 0.0–5.9 years old will be enrolled in the study. Assessments include ICD-10 and DC:0-5 diagnoses, developmental tests, video-based observations of caregiver—child interactions, and questionnaires on child psychopathology, media use, parental stress, and treatment satisfaction. Study results will promote the standardization of assessment and treatment in ECMH clinics aiming to improve the development of patients and their families.
