Attainment and Adjustment in Two Geographical Areas: I—The Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorder

Abstract

In recent years there has been an increasing interest in the observation that rates of psychiatric disorder and of educational problems in children may vary considerably according to area and to types of living conditions. However, very little is known concerning the extent to which rates actually differ, and even less about how particular area characteristics co-vary with the rates of different types of child disorder. Gath et al.(1972) found that child psychiatric referral rates were higher in areas of low social status, but data were not available to determine whether the difference lay in the preyalence of disorder or in the likelihood of detection or referral. Reading backwardness has also been associated with low social class areas (Miller et al.,1957; Eisenberg, 1966). In addition, it has been found that reading standards are lower in England than in Scotland (Davie et al.,1972). None of the studies of reading have taken IQ, into account, and it is not known whether the correlates are mainly with IQ or with a specific disability in reading. The present investigation was designed to examine these issues by determining if there were differences in the rates of child psychiatric disorder and of specific reading retardation between an inner London borough and the Isle of Wight. If differences were found, it also sought to examine the reasons for them, in order to elucidate possible causal or precipitating factors.