Research published in the Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry shows that exposure to traumatic events and low socioeconomic status in childhood are associated with internalizing disorders, such as depression and anxiety, and an externalizing disorder, such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. A total of 180 students studying in public schools and their caregivers participated in the study. They were interviewed to evaluate the association of past violent events and their socioeconomic status with the prevalence of psychiatric disorders. Psychiatric disorders were observed in nearly 22% of the students.
The most commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorder was depression (9.5%), followed by attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (9%) and anxiety disorder (6%). The internalizing disorder was observed in 14% of the children whereas, 15.5% had an externalizing disorder. About 60% of the…
