TRANSITION TO THE SPECIAL NEEDS REPORT FOR CHILDREN (SNRC): AN ANALYSIS OF REFERRALS TO CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS

Objective: Following the enactment of the Special Needs Report for Children (SNRC) regulation on February 20, 2019, several changes were made to the reporting system. The field of child psychiatry is among the leading specialties issuing SNRC reports. This study aimed to evaluate the psychiatric and other medical diagnoses of cases referred to pediatric and adolescent psychiatry for SNRC, determine their level of needs, and discuss the new regulation in the context of existing literature. Material and Methods: Demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as levels of needs and relevant areas, were retrospectively analyzed for cases aged 0-18 who presented to a university hospital's pediatric and adolescent psychiatry clinic between January 2021 and January 2024. Results: A total of 986 children and adolescents, comprising 331 (33.6%) females and 655 (66.4%) males, with a mean age of 10.27±3.77 years, were included in the study. The most common reason for SNRC referral in the 0-4 age group was speech delay (n=32, 45.1%) while learning difficulties were predominant in other age groups. Analysis of psychiatric diagnoses under SNRC revealed delayed milestone diagnosis as the most common at 45.7% (n=451), followed by specific learning disorder (n=312, 31.6%) and autism spectrum disorder (n=154, 15.6%). Non-psychiatric diagnoses showed that 28.8% (n=284) of cases had at least one accompanying medical disease, including cerebral palsy (n=65, 6.5%), sensorineural hearing loss (n=47, 4.8%), epilepsy (n=37, 3.8%), and Down syndrome (n=21, 2.1%). Additionally, 20% (n=198) of cases exhibited special needs in at least one non-psychiatric area, with motor development being the most common domain (n=125, 63.1%). Conclusion: These findings highlight the diversity of needs among children and adolescents receiving SNRC reports. Accurate evaluation and reporting of special needs in child and adolescent psychiatry are crucial for enhancing individuals' quality of life and providing necessary support.