Abstract
We studied 285 children (aged 1–15 yrs) attending a psychiatric and child guidance clinic over the period of one year (Jan 1985 to Feb 1986). Majority of children belonged to lower social class III & IV (73.4%) and unitary family (65.6%). There was male predominance (72.3%). Maximum psychiatric morbidity was observed in age group 5–9 years. Main psychiatric problems noted were neurosis (21.1%) and eating disorders (23.2%). Amongst neurosis, the commonests was hysteria (61.7%),followed by phobia (31.7%) and anxiety neurosis (6.6%). Aches and pains (51.4%) and school phobia (47.4%) were the main presenting feature of hysteria and phobia respectively. Stress of examination and failure (16.1%) and quarrels with peers, siblings or parents (13.0%) were observed to be the main precipitating factors.
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Singhal, P.K., Bhatia Balkrishna, M.S., Dhar, N.K. et al. Psychiatric morbidity. Indian J Pediatr 55, 575–579 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02868440
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02868440