The school as a setting for child and adolescent mental health interventions
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2005
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South African Journal of Psychiatry
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University of Cape Town
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Abstract
How important are mental disorders in childhood and adolescence? One way of addressing this question is to examine prevalence rates for this age group. In South Africa, we do not yet have valid or reliable prevalence data from samples that are representative of any large populations. This is unfortunate, as such data are useful for service planning and for making the case that mental disorders are important. To fill this gap, an expert task team was convened in the Western Cape to compile estimates of prevalence rates of mental disorders for children, adolescents and adults in that province.1 Co-morbidity adjusted annual prevalence rates were derived by consensus. This process was informed by a systematic literature review, and estimates of rates were adjusted to take account of the extent to which risk factors for each disorder were assessed to be present in the province. The overall prevalence rate was assessed to be 17%. The rates for selected disorders were as follows: agoraphobia – 3%; attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – 5%; bipolar disorder – 1%; conduct disorder – 4%; enuresis – 5%; major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder – 8%; oppositional defiant disorder – 6%; schizophrenia – 0.5%; separation anxiety disorder – 4%; and simple phobia – 3%. It should be borne in mind that these prevalence rates include only children and adolescents in whom the presence of the disorder was combined with functional disability to the extent that intervention was indicated.
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Reference:
Flisher, A. J. (2005). The school as a setting for child and adolescent mental health interventions: editorial. South African Journal of Psychiatry, 11(3), p-77.