Prevalência de transtornos mentais em crianças e adolescentes da comunidade quilombola Kalunga

Abstract

Mental disorders are common in children and adolescents and cause negative impact on their family, school, and social life, often persisting throughout their lives if not detected and treated. This study aimed to assess the existence and estimate the prevalence of mental disorders in children and adolescents living in an isolated rural community of the Kalunga quilombola ethnic group (descendants of African runaway enslaved individuals), located in the northeastern part of the state of Goiás, Brazil. In this cross-sectional, descriptive, quantitative study a sample of 204 Kalunga children and adolescents was evaluated based on the responses of their parents/guardians and teachers to the mental health problems and behavior screening instruments Child Behavior Checklist for ages 6–18 (CBCL/6–18) and Teacher’s Report Form for ages 6–18 (TRF/6–18), respectively. The prevalence of mental health problems in Kalunga children and adolescents was 31.4% using the CBCL/6–18 and 21.1% using the TRF/6–18 (p < 0.01). Differences were found between genders, i.e., girls were more affected by internalizing problems than boys. The prevalence of mental health problems found in the present research was high compared to similar studies around the world.