The Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders Among 5-10 Year Olds in Rural, Urban and Slum Areas in Bangladesh: an Exploratory Study

Overview

Journal Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol

Specialties Psychiatry
Public Health
Social Sciences

Date 2005 Aug 11

PMID 16091858

Citations 65

Authors

Mohammad Sayadul Islam Mullick

Robert Goodman

Affiliations

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Abstract

Background: No previous epidemiological studies of child mental health have been conducted in Bangladesh, partly due to lack of suitable measures.

Methods: A Bangla translation of a standardised child psychiatric interview, the Development and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA), was validated against routine clinical diagnoses on a consecutive series of 100 referrals to a child mental health service. A two-phase study of prevalence was applied to random samples of 5- to 10-year-olds (N=922) drawn from three contrasting areas: a rural area, a moderately prosperous urban area, and an urban slum.

Results: There was substantial agreement between the DAWBA and the independent clinic diagnosis (kappa=0.63-0.94). The estimated prevalence of any ICD-10 diagnosis was 15% (95% CI 11-21%). The rate of obsessive-compulsive disorder was higher than in previous studies. Children from the slum area were significantly more likely to have serious behavioural problems, and marginally more likely to have post-traumatic stress disorder.

Conclusion: A conservative extrapolation is that around 5 million Bangladeshi children and adolescents have psychiatric disorders. In a country with very few child mental health professionals, there is a vast gap between need and provision that must be addressed.

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