The problem of early disability and social adaptation in children with various mental disorders

Data from official medical statistics of the last decades indicate a pronounced and consistent trend of increase in mental disorders among children and high rates of child morbidity higher than among the adult population. All this leads to a significant increase of child disability that significantly limits their activity and contributes to the enhancement of social adaptation and problems of integration of children into society. The aim of the study was to determine the structure of disability, opportunities for social adaptation and analysis of the factors influencing early detection of mental health problems in children with various mental disorders. Methods: clinical-psychopathological, clinical-catamnestical, statistical. 1886 patients with verified diagnoses of mental disorders (according to ICD-10 criteria): mental retardation, infantile autism and organic mental disorders were examined. The study analyzed the problems of adequate diagnosis, untimely registration of disability and the factors leading to social exclusion and disability in the groups of children with various mental disorders. Factors that enhance social adaptation in children with mental disorders were as follows: early detection, differentiated and timely medical and psycho-pedagogical correction and selection of appropriate educational route. The factors contributing to the growth and debilitating the mental disorders include: severity of the intellectual defect, structure of defect, delayed diagnosis, late start of complex correction and inadequately selected educational profile.