The integration of psychiatric services with the somatic healthcare system is particularly important for children and adolescents. Mary Elizabeth Hospital’s Data Powerhouse conducts and plans studies aimed at examining the impact of increased integration between psychiatry and somatic care among children and adolescents in Denmark.
Publications
Trends and incidence rates of neurodevelopmental disorders in Danish children and adolescents 2000–2024. M. Bliddal, E. B. Gram, H. Sonne, J. R. Krumborg, K. M. Lundgaard, R. Wesselhoeft & H. Kildegaard (2026)
In this study, we mapped the use GLP1-receptor agonists among young Danish people aged 12-24 years during the period 2018-2025. We found that the use increased more than 50-fold during the period, especially driven by semaglutide for weight loss treatment. A large proportion of the users did not have diabetes, 33% had psychiatric comorbidity, and a notable number of the treatments were administered by non-pediatricians and non-endocrinologists. The results point to the need of closer involvement of specialists, systematic monitoring, and more knowledge about the long-term safety of the use GLP-1-receptot agonists in young people.
Pediatric Somatic and Psychiatric Hospital Contacts in Denmark: A National Overview of Risk Factors, Admissions, and Mortality. Jensen A, Stensballe LG (2025)
This study revealed that children and adolescents with psychiatric hospital contacts have twice the mortality rate of those treated for somatic conditions. The study followed more than 1.4 million individuals under 18 years of age from 2019 to 2023. During this period, there were about 20 deaths per 10,000 among those who had been in psychiatric care, compared with around 10 per 10,000 among those treated for somatic conditions. Also, the rate of readmissions was 25% higher in children and adolescents with psychiatric hospital contacts. Suicide attempts were among the most frequent causes of readmission, and low socioeconomic status was more common in the psychiatric group.
The findings highlight a significant health inequality: despite Denmark's universal healthcare system, children and adolescents with mental illness still experience poorer health outcomes.
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