Prevalence of Mental Disorders in Children Living in Alberta, Canada, as Determined From Physician Billing Data

Abstract

Administrative data can be used to estimate the prevalence of mental disorders in a pediatric population. The estimates made are lower than those obtained by using surveys of similar populations, perhaps indicating the difference between treated and untreated prevalence. Strengths of this study are that the estimates reflect the entire population, are more easily and obtained at less cost, and are useful for the planning of mental health services.