An Exploratory Study of Emotional and Behavioral Problems in Physically Disabled Children and Adolescents

Abstract

A two-stage study was carried out to estimate the prevalence of emotional and behavioural problems in physically disabled children and adolescents and also to study the patterns of psychiatric morbidity among them.

A stratified random sample of 100 institutionalized and non-institutionalized disabled children and adolescents aged 4 to 18 years from among a total of 618 disabled children and adolescents were evaluated by using CBCL questionnaires, which were completed, by their parents or caretakers in the first stage study. All high scorers (above 98th percentile) and 20 percent of low scorers (below 98th percentile) on CBCL scores were interviewed by using DSM-IV criteria for diagnosis in the second stages.

The weighted prevalence of DSM-IV disorders among the physically disabled children and adolescents was 35.20 per cent. Boys were more often having problems than girls (1.6:1.0). Similarly, the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity was higher in non-residential compared to the residential based group. The most common psychiatric disorder among these children and adolescents were depressive disorders (39.2%), enuresis (21.8%) and panic disorder (13.25). Females were more likely to suffer from depressive and panic disorders in contrast to the enuresis in males.

Emotional and behavioral problems as well as psychiatric disorders in the physically disabled children and adolescents in Nepal are much more common than those reported in the Western and Indian literatures.