Prevalence of child and adolescent mental disorders in Chile: a community epidemiological study.

Background:  In Latin America, there is limited research on the prevalence of mental disorders in children and adolescents. This Chilean survey is the first national representative survey in the Latin American region to examine the prevalence of diagnostic and statistical manual-IV (DSM-IV) psychiatric disorders in the region in children and adolescents.

Methods:  Subjects aged 4-18 were selected using a stratified multistage design.