In Italy, the only prevalence study carried out with rigorous methodology in a sample of children and adolescents found that about 8% met criteria for any mental disorders. However, there is no systematic information available about the sociodemographic, clinical and treatment-related characteristics of young patients in contact with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

To assess the characteristics of children and adolescents in contact with CAMHS and to analyse the pathways through which they referred to services.

All public outpatient CAMHS operating in a Region of 633,725 inhabitants aged 6–17 years participated to the study. A total of 710 consecutive patients were enrolled and were evaluated with a detailed Sociodemografic Form, and standardized assessment instruments, including the CBCL, the HoNOSCA, the C-GAS, the CGI.

The mean age of the users was 10(±3) years, about 60% was male, and they were comparable to general population in terms of nationality, living situation and socioeconomic status. A large proportion (76%) of patients were diagnosed within the broad groups of emotional and specific developmental disorders. Most parents had been referred by general practitioners (48,2%), and/or by school teacher (31,9%); About 60% had never received any treatment before the first contact with CAMHS.

Overall, patients do not come from families with disadvantaged social and economic backgrounds; adolescent with behavioural disorders seems to require more intensive levels of care. The recognition of the patient’s problems by parents and general practitioners play a central role in the referral pathway to CAMHS.