Epidemiological investigation of mental disorders of children in Reykjavík, Iceland

Abstract.— A representative sample of 1100 children aged 5–15 years in Reykjavík was investigated with the WISC test, the Rorschach test, and an extensive semistructured interview with the mothers. The purpose of the investigation was to estimate the frequency of mental disorders in the population of children in Reykjavík, and their socioeconomic and educational correlates. The percentage of severely disordered children for the different mental health variables ranged from 11.8% to 30.8%. No significant differences were found as to age and sex. Most clearly associated with mental health were the parents' educational level, occupational status of father, the maternal attitudes of warmth and emotional involvment and the child's IQ and school achievement.