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. 1998 Aug;37(8):880-6.
doi: 10.1097/00004583-199808000-00019.

Mental health problems among schoolchildren in United Arab Emirates: prevalence and risk factors

V Eapen  1 , L al-Gazali, S Bin-Othman, M Abou-Saleh
Affiliations

Mental health problems among schoolchildren in United Arab Emirates: prevalence and risk factors

V Eapen et al. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1998 Aug.

Abstract

Objective: To examine child psychiatric morbidity in an Arab culture.

Method: Emotional and behavioral problems were investigated in 3,278 schoolchildren aged 6 to 15 years using a two-stage epidemiological study in Al Ain District, United Arab Emirates. Children were screened using standardized questionnaires completed by parents and school physicians in the first stage, and a stratified random sample were interviewed by a child psychiatrist in the second stage.

Results: 23.9% of children were reported to have a mental health problem by either the parent or the school health physician. Boys were more often reported to be having problems than girls (1.8:1). Using the Rutter A2 scale for parents, the prevalence estimate for behavioral disorders was 16.5%. The weighted prevalence for DSM-IV disorders was 10.4% for the entire population. The presence of certain culture-specific risk factors such as male gender, number of children in the household, polygamy, and low socioeconomic status were identified for psychiatric disorders. A positive family history and consanguinity were the most significant factors associated with learning disorders.

Conclusions: The prevalence rates of child psychiatric disorders and the symptomatology observed in this Middle East community are similar to those reported in Western studies.

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