Family variables and child mental disorders in a Third World urban area (Bahia, Brazil)

Abstract

The relationship between family support variables and child mental disorders was assessed through a prevalence study conducted in an urban neighborhood of Bahia, Brazil. From a representative sample of 828 children, aged between 5 and 14 years, 23.3% were diagnosed as having varying degrees of psychological symptoms. Diagnoses were based on psychiatric interviews, following screening using the Question~rio de Morbidade Psiquiatrica Infantil (QMPI). Results supported the hypotheses that: (a) children from smaller families exhibit a higher prevalence than those from larger families; (b) prevalence of neurotic and psychosomatic disorders is lower for children from larger families than for those from smaller ones. The data failed to confirm the hypothesis that family type is associated with the occurrence of psychopathology in children. Controlled analyses indicated that these relationships were not confounded by the age or sex of the child, the social class, type or size of the family.