Objective: To determine the magnitude of specific mental and behavioural disorders in children in Butajira, southern Ethiopia.
Design: A cross-sectional survey.
Setting: Butajira district, southern Ethiopia.
Subjects: Amharic version of the diagnostic instrument for children and adolescents was used to interview parents of 1,477 children.
Results: Of the surveyed children 3.5% had at least one or more mental or behavioural disorders. The most frequent diagnoses were anxiety disorders (1.6%), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (1.5%) and disruptive behaviour disorders (1.5%). Mood disorders (1%) and elimination disorders (0.8%) were relatively less common.
Conclusion: The study shows that specific mental and behavioural disorders in these children are significant public health problems.