Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of children and adolescents evaluated subject to court-mandated health protection orders in a child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinic in Türkiye. A cross-sectional design was employed between October 2024 and March 2025 at the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department of a regional hospital. The sample included 53 participants (26 males, 27 females) evaluated following a judicial health protection order. Data were collected using the K-SADS-PL diagnostic interview and a researcher-designed sociodemographic questionnaire. Participants predominantly came from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Psychiatric diagnoses were present in over half of the sample, with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) more prevalent among boys, and major depressive disorder (MDD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) more common among girls. Although most clinical and demographic features showed no significant gender differences, parental marital status differed significantly (p=0.008): the majority of boys came from separated families, whereas girls more often lived in intact family settings. This was consistent with the higher rate of institutional placement among males. The most frequent reason for health protection orders was neglect and poverty in both genders. Counseling services were more commonly offered to girls. Children and adolescents under health protection orders demonstrate high rates of psychiatric morbidity and family instability. The significant association between parental separation and male institutional placement underscores the role of family structure in shaping mental health trajectories. These findings emphasize the necessity of trauma-informed, multidisciplinary approaches that integrate family-based interventions and long-term follow-up in child welfare systems.

Key words: Health protection order, child and adolescent psychiatry, psychiatric comorbidity