Childhood Psychiatric Disorders On the Rise (Not Only Autism)?

The incidence of not only autism, but also of other childhood neuropsychiatric disorders, may be on the rise. In a report in the February 2007 issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine (2007:161:193-198), Danish researchers at the University of Aarhus found that the incidence of autism, hyperkinetic disorder and Tourette syndrome all increased among Danish children between 1990 and 2004. Hjördís Ósk Atladóttir, M.B., and his colleagues examined the records of 699,995 children born in Denmark between 1990 and 1997. EurekAlert notes that:

Through 2004, a total of 4,376 children were given 4,637 diagnoses for these disorders. The incidence of hyperkinetic disorder, Tourette syndrome and autism spectrum disorders all increased significantly over time, while obsessive-compulsive disorder did not. “It is difficult to explain why obsessive-compulsive disorder was the only disorder displaying another pattern; the reason may be etiologic, due to nonetiologic diagnostic differences or due to the relatively short follow-up,” the authors write.

An Epidemic of Misunderstanding About Children’s Mental Health in January 19th New York Times column by Judith Warner asks a related question, namely, is there really an “epidemic” in children’s mental health disorders? She writes

Children’s anxiety disorders are said to be skyrocketing, as is depression, and in some communities, up to 20 percent of children are being medicated for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Does all this qualify as an epidemic of mental illness? It certainly feels like that’s the case. But the general picture is unclear.

Rising numbers in the incidence of autism and other children’s mental helath disorders need not necessarily be construed as entirely negative and cause for alarm especially if, as Warner, notes “talk of epidemics brings needed resources, then more’s the better.” However, as she writes in the final sentence of her column, “if, as is already happening, the hyped-up language instead fuels a naysayer backlash, then parents and children would be better served by reality-based advocacy.”

To what end, and how, will the findings of this new study of Danish children be used?