Some Develomental Problems May Lead to Mental Ones

Children diagnosed with probable developmental coordination disorder (DCD) at age 7 have an increased likelihood of having mental health problems by age 9 or 10, according to a study by British and Dutch researchers in the April issue of Pediatrics. They analyzed data on 6,902 children from the Avon region in Britai, and found 346 with functional limitations in activities of daily living or handwriting. They excluded children with neurological or other medical problems or low IQ scores. Children with probable DCD were twice as likely to report depression, and their parents were four times more likely to say their children had mental health difficulties than other children.

“Children with DCD need to be screened for mental health difficulties,” concluded the authors. “Interventions focusing on increasing self-esteem, tackling bullying, and enhancing social interaction may alleviate some of the risk of depression and behavioral difficulties in children with DCD.”

For more about developmental coordination disorder, see Concise Guide to Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Fourth Edition, from American Psychiatric Publishing.

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