This study was guided by two objectives. The first objective was to investigate which of the ordinal birth orders (one's chronological position with in their family of origin) was over represented within patients receiving treatment for addiction at a drugs rehabilitation centre. The second objective was to investigate whether psychological birth order (a person's perception of their ordinal birth order) was more prevalent in relation to substance related disorders. 28 male participants admitted in a rehabilitation centre were recruited for the study. Their age ranged from 18-50 years of age. The Psychological Birth Order Inventory (PBOI) by Campbell, White & Stewart (1991) was used to collect information concerning the participant's psychological birth order whilst Eckstein's 1977 ordinal birth order assessment question was used to derive information concerning the participants' ordinal position. In reference to the first objective, it was found that the youngest child was more likely to have a substance related disorder 33.3%, followed by the first and middle child who were just as likely to develop the disorder 28.6 % and lastly, an only child with a frequency of 7.6%. In the second objective, it was found that majority of the participants rated themselves as psychological first borns with a frequency score of 51.9%.This was followed by ratings of the psychological middle child 22.2% and the psychological only (11.1%) The interpretations and implications of the results have been discussed.

Background: Adolescents throughout the world are at risk of developing PTSD. PTSD has detrimental long term effects on every facet of life and has been shown to negatively impact the various areas of life. These areas often include: academic performance, cognitive abilities, emotion regulation and behavioural regulation. In adolescents, PTSD has particularly been implicated in high dropout rates which subsequently leads to poverty, fewer opportunities and a decreased lifespan. Objective: The purpose of this study was to establish the prevalence of PTSD among adolescent boys in selected secondary schools in Machakos County, Kenya. Methods: Two secondary schools were conveniently sampled with a total of 976. The adolescent boys were aged 14-17-years. The respondents filled a Socio-Demographic Questionnaire (SDQ) and the Child PTSD Symptom Scale-V-Self Report (CPSS-V-SR) which screened for PTSD symptoms. Results: The findings showed that the prevalence of PTSD was at 27.6%. The findings also showed that respondents who lived in other counties (exclusive of Nairobi County and Machakos County) had the least frequency of 42 (15.6%) but reported the highest mean PTSD symptoms at 24.5 (±24.5) and a statistically significant mean difference established in the counties p<0.006. Conclusion: The need for psychotherapy in secondary schools is therefore essential in order to alleviate PTSD prevalence. This is also crucial in order to buffer adolescents from comorbid diseases and psychological disorders.