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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 1/2016

01-01-2016 | Original Paper

The prevalence of mental disorders among upper primary school children in Kenya

Authors: David Musyimi Ndetei, Victoria Mutiso, Christine Musyimi, Aggrey G. Mokaya, Kelly K. Anderson, Kwame McKenzie, Abednego Musau

Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | Issue 1/2016

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and correlates of mental disorders among upper primary school children in grades five through seven in Kenya.

Methods

The Youth Self Report (YSR) instrument was adapted for use in Kenyan schools and administered to 2267 school children in grades five through seven from 23 randomly selected schools. We estimated the prevalence of DSM-IV mental disorders, and used logistic regression analyses to examine the socio-demographic factors associated with each disorder.

Results

The prevalence of any mental disorder among Kenyan school children was 37.7 % (95 % CI = 35.7–39.7 %). Somatic complaints were the most prevalent (29.6 %, 95 % CI = 27.8–31.5 %), followed by affective disorders (14.1 %, 95 % CI = 12.7–15.6 %) and conduct disorder (12.5 %, 95 % CI = 11.2–13.9). The presence of one or more comorbid mental disorder was seen among 18.2 % (95 % CI = 16.6–19.8 %) of children. Male sex, living in a peri-urban vs. rural area, being held back in school, having divorced or separated parents, and having an employed mother were associated with an increased likelihood of having most of the mental disorders examined, whereas increasing age was associated with a reduced likelihood.

Conclusions

We observed a high prevalence of mental disorders among school children in Kenya. If not detected early, these disorders may interfere with children’s psychological, social, and educational development. Our findings highlight the importance of implementing screening measures in schools that can detect single and multiple disorders in order to improve the mental health and well-being of the next generation.
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Metadata
Title
The prevalence of mental disorders among upper primary school children in Kenya
Authors
David Musyimi Ndetei
Victoria Mutiso
Christine Musyimi
Aggrey G. Mokaya
Kelly K. Anderson
Kwame McKenzie
Abednego Musau
Publication date
01-01-2016
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology / Issue 1/2016
Print ISSN: 0933-7954
Electronic ISSN: 1433-9285
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-015-1132-0

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