Psychiatric disorders among children with cerebral palsy at school starting age.
Half of kids with cerebral palsy already have a psychiatric diagnosis by school start—screen early.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team looked at five-year-old children with cerebral palsy who were starting school.
They used full psychiatric interviews to see how many met criteria for disorders like ADHD.
What they found
More than half of the children qualified for at least one psychiatric diagnosis.
ADHD was the most common. Three out of four kids had either full disorder or clear symptoms.
How this fits with other research
Shawler et al. (2021) followed similar Norwegian adults with CP and still saw high psychiatric rates. This shows the risk lasts a lifetime.
Rackauskaite et al. (2016) asked Danish parents to fill out the CBCL checklist. They found 46% of kids screened positive, close to the 57% found here. Different tools, same story.
Lancioni et al. (2011) showed kids with CP often have unmet health needs, especially when emotional problems are present. The new data say the problems are already visible at school entry.
Why it matters
You can treat what you detect. Start screening for ADHD, anxiety, and mood issues as soon as a child with CP enters your caseload. Use short parent questionnaires first, then refer for full interview when scores are high. Early flags lead to earlier supports, better learning, and less stress for families.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The aim of the present population study was to estimate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in children with cerebral palsy (CP), as well as the impact of comorbid conditions. A cohort of children with CP born 2001-2003, and living in the Western Health Region of Norway were evaluated at school starting age. Parents were interviewed with the diagnostic instrument Kiddie-SADS, to find the prevalence of psychiatric disorders. Sixty-seven children participated, 43 boys, with mean age 88 months (SD 6,8 months). Most children had spastic CP, Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I and II were found in 2/3 of the group. We found the diagnostic instrument appropriate for GMFCS levels I-IV. Child psychiatric disorders were found in 57% of the children, including 28 children meeting criteria for an attention deficit disorder, which was the most common. Communication problem was significantly associated with having a psychiatric disorder, whereas intellectual disability, type of CP and functional level did not account for significant differences. Subthreshold symptoms were found in 33 children, and 42 children (75%) met criteria for either psychiatric disorder, or mental health symptoms. One in four (14 children) were considered well-functioning from a mental health point of view. We conclude with a recommendation for early psychiatric evaluation of all children with CP.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2012 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2012.02.024