title: Mental health of preschool children and their mothers in a mixed urban/rural population. I. Prevalence and ecological factors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  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.
  
  
  METHODS
  Parents completed the Child Behaviour Checklist, EAS Temperament Questionnaire, Weiss-Werry-Peters Activity Scale and the GHQ-30.
  
  
  RESULTS
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Child Psychiatry Department, Southampton Health District.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stevenson
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sonuga-Barke
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nott
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bhatti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hudswell
mesh_terms: D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D010552:Personality Assessment; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012931:Social Environment; D013694:Temperament; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*