Mental health problems of street children in residential care in Zambia: Special focus on prediction of psychiatric conditions in street children

Abstract

This study aims to find out mental health problems and examine their role in prediction of psychiatric conditions in street children in residential care. Five (5) street children residential centres in Lusaka District, as well as a cross-section of street children (74) in residential care aged between 7 and 17 years were used for this study. Overall, 74 (68 males and 6 females) children in residential care were at risk of having a mental health problem. Forty of them were at risk of having multiple mental health problems. The most frequent disorders were behavioural and emotional disorders, because 40.5% of the children and young people scored above average stress levels. The findings also indicated a strong correlation between co-morbidity and overall stress, rho = 68, n = 74, p < 0.001, that is, co-morbidity helps to explain 46% shared variance in respondent's scores on overall stress. There was a strong relationship between mental health problems and prediction of psychiatric conditions in street children. The results in this study illustrate that mental heath problems and levels of stress co-exist. Therefore, assessment of multiple mental health problems in providing mental health services to street children in residential care should be included in the management plan. In addition, multiple mental health problems indicate the complexities of mental health problems, an aspect that demands collaborative efforts from various stakeholders involved in child care systems.

Mental disorders in former street-working boys

“…Both of these earlier studies [ 28 , 29 ] examined school children and children from the general population. Compared to two other studies which used similar diagnostic interviews with street children and child labourers, the incidence of mental disorders in this study was still higher [ 30 , 31 ]. In one of these studies, which was conducted on 528 child laborers aged 5–15 years from Addis Ababa and which used the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents (DICA), the prevalence of any DSM-III-R childhood emotional and behavioural disorder was 20.1%.…”

“…In one of these studies, which was conducted on 528 child laborers aged 5–15 years from Addis Ababa and which used the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents (DICA), the prevalence of any DSM-III-R childhood emotional and behavioural disorder was 20.1%. A cross-sectional study [ 31 ], using the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), in 74 Zambian street children, 7–17 years old, found that 41% reported one mental health problem and 35% multiple problems. Despite being in the same age groups as these children, the street-working boys examined here are expected to be more severely burdened.…”

Physical, mental and healthcare issues of children on the street of Ibadan, Nigeria

“… 36 , 41 , 42 Behavioural problems are documented mental health challenges of other minor categories of street children and there are gaps in the literature regarding behavioural problems among children on the street. 3 , 43 Therefore, it was enlightening to find children in this study who realised their misbehaviours towards their parents and worked on positive change. Additionally, street shopkeepers in this study had understudied the trajectories of behavioural problems of these children.…”