Psychiatric Morbidity in Paediatric Primary Care Clinic in Ilorin, Nigeria

Abstract

The study supports earlier ones in Nigeria that child psychiatric disorders are common in hospital patients, although differences may exist in pattern and types. It emphasizes the need to screen hospital patients for morbidity to ensure early detection and treatment of psychiatric disorders in childhood. This is to limit the period of illness and avoid its adverse effects on growth and development of the children and to reduce the risk of carrying over remediable problems in childhood into adulthood.