Prevalence of emotional and behavioral disorders in children and adolescents in Germany - A systematic literature review

Objective: Methods and results from empirical research carried out so far on the prevalence of psychopathology in children and adolescents in Germany are presented. Methods: The relevant studies (n=29) identified by systematic literature search are presented and compared in table form on the basis of important epidemiological key factors, and a descriptive analysis is provided. Results: The prevalence of emotional and behavioral disorders is 17.2 +/- 5.07% (M +/- SD). Determination of the prevalence rates is influenced by the study methods used. The results presented here do not indicate an increase or decrease in the prevalence of psychopathology in childhood and adolescence over the past decades. Conclusions: The results are discussed with respect to study quality, also in an international context, and recommendations are made for standardization of future studies.