Medical and psychotherapeutic health care utilization of children and adolescents with mental health problems: Results of the BELLA Study.

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To date, data on psychiatric/psychotherapeutic health care utilization of children and adolescents in Germany is scarce. Analyzing the representative data from the BELLA study with a total of 2,863 participating families, it was found that 5.6 % of all participants aged 7-17 years sought professional psychiatric/psychotherapeutic care within the last 12 months. Of those with mental health problems, identified by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), 28.8 % received care. Only one-fifth of the boys and girls reporting impairment due to mental health problems received psychiatric or psychotherapeutic treatment.