Estimate of mental ill health in children of an urban community

Summary

This study was conducted in an urban locality to determine the psychiatric morbidity in children up to 12 years of age. All 109 families having children up to 12 years of age were studied. The results revealed a period prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in these children of 356 per 1000. Further more, mental subnormality, either alone or in association with neurotic behaviour or organic brain syndrome, formed the largest diagnostic category. A large number of neurotic and allied disorders was also observed but there was complete absence of functional psychosis. Out of those who were mentally retarded a majority had only borderline retardation and a majority of healthy children possessed an I.Q. between 91–120. A comparison of socio-demographic variables of the total and the sick population revealed that children above 6 years of age were more frequently sick (p<0.01). Analysis was made of the physical and emotional stresses during pregnancy, psychiatric disorders in the children having delayed and normal milestones, and neurotic traits up to 5 years of age along with malnutrition in association with psychiatric disorders in these children.