Parental sociodemographic characteristics and mental health referrals by nurses in Swedish child health centres

Abstract

The worldwide prevalence of child mental health problems is approximately 10%-20%. 1 Although many children suffer from mental health problems or mental disorders, only a small percentage receive mental health care. 2 Previous research has shown that mental health problems in adults often originate in childhood 3 and that mental health problems in children tend to persist into adolescence 4 or adulthood. 5 Besides reducing later mental health problems, 5 early intervention can also result in socio-economic benefits. 6,7 These