Specialized Treatment of Adolescents with Psychiatric Disorders: A Descritive Study

Abstract

This study describes the clinical and social demographic profile of adolescent patients in a mental health outpatient unit in São Paulo. Parents and caregivers of 107 adolescents (age range: 12-18 years; 71,9% male) were interviewed. The patients were randomly selected among 213 patients who attended the service in 2001. A structured interview was administered to all parents and caregivers. The most prevalent diagnosis in the sample was Global Development Disorder. Eight percent of the patients had never attended school. These findings highlight the importance of certain aspects of mental assistance to adolescents, such as a multidisciplinary approach and family interventions. In addition, there is a need for improvements in the access to education and health, with regionalization of mental health services and optimization of community resources.

Keywords

• mental health
• adolescents
• health services
• diagnosis