Objectives: Psychiatric disorders are increasingly recognized among children and
adolescents in Bangladesh. Psychiatric disorders are more common in children with
chronic and acute pediatric disorders. Our study was designed to determine the psychiatric
disorders among children and adolescents attending pediatric outpatient departments of
tertiary care hospitals. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out from July
2012 to February 2013 in pediatric outpatient departments of three prime tertiary level
hospitals of Dhaka, Bangladesh. A purposive sampling technique was used. A total of
240 male and female children aged 5 to 16 years old were included in the study. We
used a semi-structured questionnaire to obtain sociodemographic and other relevant
clinical information about the children and their families from their parents or caregivers
and a validated parent version of the Bangla Development and Well-Being Assessment
(DAWBA) for measuring psychopathology. Results: The mean age of the children was
9.0± 2.6 years. The majority (71%) of children were in the 5–10 year age group. The male/
female ratio was 1.2:1. Among the respondents, 18% were found to have a psychiatric
disorder. Behavioral disorders, emotional disorders, and developmental disorders were
found in 9.0%, 15.0% and 0.4% respectively. Hyperkinetic disorder was the single most
frequent (5.0%) psychiatric disorder. Conclusions: A significant number of children were
found to have psychiatric disorders. Our study indicates the importance of identification
and subsequent management of psychiatric conditions among the pediatric population.