The prevalence of DSM-IV psychiatric disorders among 7-10 year old Yemeni schoolchildren.
BACKGROUND
The planning of child mental health services should be based on recent high-quality data on the prevalence and type of mental health disorders, and yet such data are not available in Yemen and many other Arab countries.


METHODS
Representative samples of Yemeni 7-10 year olds (n = 1,210) were assessed using a two-phase design in an urban area and a one-phase design in a rural area. Psychopathology was assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for screening purposes and the Development and Well-being Assessment to generate psychiatric diagnoses.


RESULTS
The overall prevalence of DSM-IV disorders was 15.7% in Yemen (95% CI 11.7-20.2%). Anxiety disorders were the commonest diagnostic grouping in Yemen (9.3%, 95% CI = 5.8-12.8%), followed by behavioural disorders (7.1%, 95% CI = 4.4-9.9%) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; 1.3%, 95% CI = 0.1-2.5%). There were no significant urban-rural differences.


CONCLUSIONS
Roughly a sixth of Yemeni schoolchildren have at least one DSM-IV psychiatric disorder, involving a level of distress or social impairment likely to warrant treatment.
Dept. of Psychiatry, Hadramaut University, Fuah, Yemen.
Abdullah
A
Alyahri
Robert
R
Goodman
D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015006:Yemen / Q000453:epidemiology