MENTAL-HEALTH PROBLEMS OF CHILDREN OF MIGRANT AND SEASONAL FARM-WORKERS - A PILOT-STUDY

Objective: Children of migrant and seasonal farm workers constitute im portant populations for study because they chronically experience extr eme poverty and parental unemployment. Also, migrant children are expo sed to chronic residential and school mobility. Method: Mothers and ch ildren were interviewed using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Ch ildren Version 2.1. Results: The results indicated that 66% of the chi ldren had one or more psychiatric diagnoses based on mother or child r eports, with anxiety disorders being the most prevalent diagnosis. Con clusions: These findings suggest the need for a larger, epidemiologica l study of the psychiatric morbidity of rural children of farm workers .