Prevalence of Mental Disorders in 6–16-Year-Old Students in Sichuan Province, China

Yuan Qu, Hongyun Jiang, Ni Zhang, Dahai Wang and Lanting Guo
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Yuan Qu: Department of Psychiatry, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
Hongyun Jiang: Department of Psychiatry, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
Ni Zhang: Department of Psychiatry, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
Dahai Wang: Department of Psychiatry, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
Lanting Guo: Department of Psychiatry, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China

IJERPH, 2015, vol. 12, issue 5, 1-18

Abstract: To investigate the point prevalence of mental disorders in school students, multistage cluster stratified random sampling and two-phase survey methods were used to identify 40 primary and middle schools. The students were screened using the Chinese version of the Child Behavior Checklist and diagnosed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. The prevalence of behavioral problems was 19.13%. The prevalence of behavioral problems significantly differed by sex, age, city of residence, and caretaker. The six-month prevalence of any mental disorder was 15.24% (95% CI: 15.49%–16.97%). Psychiatric disorders were more prevalent in boys (17.33%) relative to girls (13.11%; p < 0.01). The prevalence of mental disorders significantly differed by community and caretaker, and 36.46% of students exhibited comorbidity. Results demonstrated important mental health issues, with a high incidence of comorbidities, in this population. Students’ mental health requires increased attention, particularly in poverty-stricken areas and left-behind children and adolescents.

Keywords: China; mental disorder; epidemiological; prevalence; children; adolescents; students (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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