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Self-reported mental health in children ages 6–12 years across eight European countries

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Abstract

Worldwide, approximately one in eight children or adolescents suffers from a mental disorder. The present study was designed to determine the self-reported prevalence of mental health problems in children aged 6–11 years across eight European countries including Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey. Data were drawn from 6245 children participating in the School Children Mental Health in Europe (SCHME) study and a large cross-sectional survey in France. Self-reported child mental health was assessed using the Dominique Interactive (DI). Overall, 22.0% of children were identified per their own evaluation as having at least one mental disorder, ranging from 16.4% in the Netherlands to 27.9% in Bulgaria. The prevalence of internalizing disorders was 18.4% across countries and ranged from 11.8% in the Netherlands to 24.3% in Turkey. The prevalence of externalizing disorders was lower with an average of 7.8%, ranging from 3.5% in Turkey to 10.5% in Bulgaria. Combining samples across European countries, 1 in 5 children reported internalizing problems and 1 in 12 children externalizing problems. The net completion rates of 4.1–74.3% preclude conclusions about national differences in prevalence rates.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the European Union, Grant number 2006336.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology EA4139, Institut Universitaire de France, University of Bordeaux, 3 ter, place de la Victoire, 33076, Bordeaux, France

    Mathilde M. Husky

  2. INSERM, UMR_S1136, Institut Pierre Louis d’Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Paris, France

    Anders Boyd

  3. The Romanian League for Mental Health, Bucharest, Romania

    Adina Bitfoi

  4. Centro di Psichiatria di Consulenza e Psicosomatica Azienda Ospedaliero, Universitaria di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy

    Mauro Giovanni Carta

  5. Mental Health Programme, Department of Chronic Disease and Trauma, Institut de Veille Sanitaire, Paris, France

    Christine Chan-Chee

  6. Institute of Psychology, University of Koblenz-Landau (Campus Koblenz), Koblenz, Germany

    Dietmar Goelitz

  7. Yeniden Health and Education Society, Istanbul, Turkey

    Ceren Koç

  8. Clinic of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Vilnius, Vilnius, Lithuania

    Sigita Lesinskiene

  9. New Bulgarian University, Sofia, Bulgaria

    Zlatka Mihova

  10. Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Pluryn, Research and Development, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Roy Otten

  11. EHESP Rennes, Sorbonne Paris Cite, Paris, France

    Ondine Pez & Viviane Kovess-Masfety

  12. Screening and Prevention Bureau, SDS/DASES, Mairie de Paris, Paris, France

    Taraneh Shojaei

  13. EA 4057, Paris Descartes University, Sorbonne Paris Cite, Paris, France

    Viviane Kovess-Masfety

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  1. Mathilde M. Husky
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  2. Anders Boyd
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Correspondence to Mathilde M. Husky.

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Husky, M.M., Boyd, A., Bitfoi, A. et al. Self-reported mental health in children ages 6–12 years across eight European countries. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 27, 785–795 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-017-1073-0

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