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ABSTRACT. Nine hundred and eighty-six 10 and 11-year-old children were screened for psychiatric disorder using a method developed by Rutter for a same-age English population. The prevalence rate was 14%, with rural children showing a lower rate (10%) than urban (15%), and metropolitan (18%). Comparisons between Australian and English children suggest a higher rate of disorder among the former; significantly so in the case of girls (p<.02), with a significant increase in emotional disorder among boys (p<.02), and an increase in conduct disorder among girls but not at a level of statistical significance. The results on teacher questionnaires alone showed a prevalence rate and distribution very comparable to the English study. These findings are discussed in the light of cultural differences and changing social attitudes.
Connell et al. (Wed,) studied this question.