Mental health of preschool children and their mothers in a mixed urban/rural population. I. Prevalence and ecological factors

• Published in: British journal of psychiatry Vol. 168; no. 1; pp. 16 - 20
• Main Authors: Thompson, MJ, Stevenson, J, Sonuga-Barke, E, Nott, P, Bhatti, Z, Price, A, Hudswell, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England RCP 01.01.1996; Cambridge University Press
• Subjects: Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - diagnosis; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - epidemiology; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - psychology; Behavior problems; Child Behavior Checklist; Child Behavior Disorders - diagnosis; Child Behavior Disorders - epidemiology; Child Behavior Disorders - psychology; Child of Impaired Parents - psychology; Child, Preschool; Children; Cross-Sectional Studies; England - epidemiology; Families & family life; Family Characteristics; Female; Humans; Incidence; Locality; Male; Maternal behavior; Mental health; Mother-Child Relations; Mothers; Mothers - psychology; Personality Assessment; Preschool children; Questionnaires; Rural areas; Rural communities; Rural Population - statistics & numerical data; Social Environment; Temperament; Urban areas; Urban Population - statistics & numerical data; England
• ISSN: 0007-1250; 1472-1465
• DOI: 10.1192/bjp.168.1.16

The prevalence rate of behaviour problems and maternal mental disturbance was estimated using a sample of 1047 families with a 3-year-old child from a mixed urban/rural area. Parents completed the Child Behaviour Checklist, EAS Temperament Questionnaire, Weiss-Werry-Peters Activity Scale and the GHQ-30. The rate of behaviour problems (13.2%) was similar to that obtained in studies of urban children. The rate of maternal disturbance (27.6%) was lower than in other population samples. Few differences were found in the prevalence rates in the urban and rural areas. Preschool children and their parents living in non-urban areas had the same rates of problems as those in conurbations. The service needs of such families are similar regardless of locality.