Peer-reviewed article
Children’s mental health needs and access to specialized services in Mexico
Díaz-Castro L, Márquez-Caraveo M, Cornú-Rojas H, Jaimes M, García-Andrade M et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined how children in Mexico access mental health services and the factors affecting when families seek help. Researchers surveyed 397 children and their caregivers at psychiatric hospitals in Mexico City between 2018 and 2019. They found that children with different diagnoses (like depression or hyperactivity disorder) seek help at different ages, and girls tend to receive help later than boys. Mothers were typically the first to notice symptoms and prompt help-seeking.
Key points
- 51% of the sample had a diagnosis of hyperkinetic disorder and 34% had depressive disorder
- Children with depressive disorder sought help at an average age of 10.1 years, compared to 6.95 years for hyperkinetic disorder
- Girls sought mental health services at an average age of 10.9 years compared to 7.85 years for boys
- Mothers were the first to notice symptoms in children with mental health needs
- Help-seeking patterns differed significantly by sex, diagnosis type, and family history
Limitations
This is a cross-sectional study of children already accessing specialized mental health services at hospitals in Mexico City, so it does not capture children with unmet mental health needs who never seek care. The findings may not be representative of rural areas or lower-income populations with different access barriers.
Abstract
Introduction The prevalence of mental disorders (MD) is greater in children; however, they are the population with less help-seeking and access to mental health-care services (MHS). Objectives To explore the characteristics of help-seeking and access to specialized MHS in children with MD. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out from 2018 to 2019, in the Children’s Psychiatric Hospital and National Institute of Psychiatry in Mexico City. Sample 397 children and 397 caregivers. The project was approved by the Ethics Committee of both institutions. The patient’s family member was questioned on sociodemographic data and help-seeking to MHS. Sample’s descriptive statistics applying measures of central tendency, Inferential statistics with t-test for differences in means between groups (diagnosis), and one-way ANOVA to variables associated with the help-seeking to MHS. Results Children´s sample: 37% female, average age 12 years (SD± 3.6), 51% had diagnosis of hyperkinetic disorder (HD), 34% depressive disorder (DD). The children´s age at the time of seeking healthcare was different according to the diagnosis: DD 10.1 (SD ± 4.5) and HD 6.95 (SD ± 3.4), (T = -3.18, p = 0.000); and by sex: girls 10.9 (SD ± 4.5), boys 7.85 (SD ± 4.0); (T = -3.07, p = 0.000). The mother was the first person to notice the symptoms. Conclusions The search for MHS differs by sex, diagnosis and family history; it is necessary to design mental health interventions considering gender-based differences, namely, to integrate a gender perspective. Disclosure No significant relationships.