Psychopathology in Urban and Rural/Peri-Urban Children Seeking Mental Health Care

Abstract

While childhood psychopathology may not necessarily be expected to vary between urban and rural children, social and political factors could be influential in the variances in presentation across these different environments. A comparative investigation was undertaken in the KwaZulu-Natal region to examine childhood presentations at (i) an urban psychological clinic in a low socio-economic environment, and (ii) a few visiting psychological clinics serving rural and peri-urban communities. Data were collected over a five-year period. The results revealed several notable differences, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and disruptive behaviour disorders (other than ADHD) were significantly more prevalent in the urban sample. However, mental retardation, post-traumatic stress disorder and sexual abuse were significantly more common in the rural/peri-urban sample. The results are discussed within the context of children's life experiences, available facilities, and psychopathology detection rates in these two types of environments.