Epidemiology of psychological disorders in Irish children

Three major epidemiological studies of psychological disorders in Irish children were reviewed. These are the first systematic investigations to be conducted in Ireland and all have been completed within the last 5 years. The studies were conducted in Dublin (N = 2029), Clare (N = 1361) and Cork (N = 733). In all three studies children were screened with the Rutter Teacher Questionnaire. The prevalence rates of children with deviant scores were 17%, 11% and 15% for Dublin, Clare and Cork respectively. Externalizing behavioural problems were three times more prevalent than internalizing problems in Dublin and Clare. Data for Cork, on this variable, were unavailable. In all three studies the prevalence of disorders was higher in boys, but this pattern was particularly marked in Dublin where 21 % of boys had disorders compared to 12% of girls. In Dublin and Clare, but not in Cork, lower intelligence and reading attainment difficulties were associated with the presence of a psychological disorder. In Dublin (the only area for which data on family circumstances were available) family adversity was associated with psychological disorder. In Dublin and Cork, screening by questionnaire was followed-up with an intensive interview study of cases and controls. Estimated prevalence rates of psychological disorder based on interview data were 16% for Dublin and 10% for Cork.