Classification and Epidemiology

doi:10.1017/9781009110266.005

Chapter 5 - Classification and Epidemiology

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 October 2025

Kapil Sayal and

Edited by

Shermin Imran: Affiliation:
Greater Manchester NHS Foundation Trust

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Summary

The epidemiology of psychiatric disorders among young people is a topic often discussed within the media. However, the reported prevalence of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders depends upon the sample studied, temporal context and methodology used. Within the UK, the use of large, methodologically rigorous surveys has improved understanding of disorders at a population level. The findings paint a solemn picture with 1 in 8 young people found to have a diagnosable mental disorder in 2017 and follow ups in 2020 and 2021 suggesting this may have increased to 1 in 6. The main drivers in these increases appear to be a rise in emotional disorders, particularly in older adolescents and most strikingly among females. Other disorders, when compared across timepoints, appear to have remained relatively stable in prevalence. The classification of disorders within child and adolescent psychiatry is also an ever-evolving field with changes made in each new diagnostic manual which reflect current thinking and the incorporation of new knowledge. This chapter discusses recent changes to the classifications of disorders in child and adolescent mental health and recent epidemiological findings.

Keywords

epidemiology classification ICD-11 DSM-5 CAMHS prevalence

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Type: Chapter
Information: Seminars in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry , pp. 67 - 80

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009110266.005 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2025

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