Some childhood mental ills trending upward

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Along with autism, the occurrence rates of hyperactivity disorder and Tourette's syndrome among children have increased significantly between 1995 and 2004, a Danish study shows. In contrast, the incidence of obsessive-compulsive disorder has remained relatively unchanged.

These four conditions are among the most common neuropsychiatric disorders and they often exist together, Dr. Hjordis Osk Atladottir, from the University of Aarhus, and associates note in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

The researchers found that of nearly 670,000 children who were born between 1990 and 1999, a total of 4376 children were diagnosed with at least one of the four mental illnesses by 2004.

As noted, the incidence of all but obsessive-compulsive disorder increased significantly over time.

Atladottir's group proposes that the common pattern of increases may be related to shared genetic or environmental factors. Other reasons, such as changes in how children have been identified and diagnosed over time, may be responsible. On the other hand, they say, the findings may be entirely coincidental.

SOURCE: Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, February 2007.