Age-stratified comparison of psychopathological characteristics between psychiatric and psychological outpatients

Nearly one billion people worldwide suffer from mental disorders, and stigma often poses a barrier to treatment. This study compared the demographic and psychopathological characteristics of patients from psychiatric and psychological outpatient clinics, providing evidence to inform optimal resource allocation. This study retrospectively collected 25,379 data cases from September 2023 to February 2025. Symptoms were assessed using the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90). Statistical analyses employed mixed-effects ANOVA and network analysis. Patients from psychiatric outpatient clinics were significantly younger, with nearly half (49.60%) aged 16–24 years, while patients from psychological outpatient clinics were predominantly in the 25–44 years (51.37%). Significant differences were observed on all measures, including the SDS, SAS, and SCL-90 subscales. Network analysis revealed depression as the core symptom in psychiatry (strength 1.217–1.702) versus anxiety in psychological outpatient clinics (strength 0.957–1.632). These differences support optimized, age-targeted resource allocation. Integrated “Hospital-School-Home-Community” services for youth in psychiatric outpatient clinics and anxiety/stress-focused interventions for adults in psychological outpatient clinics.