Family size and child mental disorders in Bahia,Brazil

The relationship between family size and child mental disorders was assessed through a prevalence study conducted in an urban neighborhood of Salvador, Brazil. From a representative sample of 828 children aged between 5 and 14 years, 23.3% were diagnosed as exhibiting varying degrees of mental disorders. Diagnoses were based on psychiatric interviews, following screening using the QMPI (a Portuguese-language screening questionnaire). Results supported the hypotheses that: (1) children from smaller families would exhibit higher prevalence of mental disorders than those from larger families; and (2) prevalence of neurotic and psychosomatic disorders would be lower for children from larger families than from smaller ones. Significant associations were also found between family size and diagnosis and severity of child mental disorders. Controlled analyses indicated that these relationships were not confounded by age or sex of the child, family social class, or family type.