A retrospective study and profile of new cases attending the Child Guidance Clinic, Bustamante Hospital for Children, between September 1998 and Ferbruary 1999

A total of 72 new cases who attended the Child Guidance Clinic at the Bustamante Children Hospital between the six months period of September 1998 and February 1999 were investigated in a retrospective study, using their case notes. The age of cases ranged from 3 years to 17 years with the mean age of 8.8 and most frequent age group being 6 to 10 years (58.3 percent). More cases were males (52.4 percent) and most of them came from St. Catherine. The most common presenting problem was aggressiveness (43.1 percent) where as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disease (ADHD) was diagnosed most often (20.8 percent). The majority of children were born of unplanned pregnancies (71.4 percent of recorded cases). Only 30 cases had both parents living in the same household 19.4 percent of cases were abused, among which sexual abuse was the most common form. Out of 26 cases recorded for psychosocial stressors, witnessing violence (22.2 percent) was the most common stressor and exposure to gunmen accounted for (6.9 percent) of these cases. Over half (53.7 percent) of the cases recorded were separated from fathers. Fathers were also the ones who did not support nor contact their children much, whereas mothers tend to support and contact their children more regularly when not living together. Most of these findings showed and suggested the need of children to be attached and receive the love, care affection and attention from both parents, their mothers and also their fathers.(Au)

Aggressive behaviour in a small rural community in Jamaica: The report of a cooperative epidemiological study

Several incidents of aggressive behaviour in a rural community in Jamaica were investigated by a team of workers each of whose contributions enabled a composite picture of the incidents to be built up. Social and economic factors as well as the influence of close kin marriages were considered to be important causes of these incidents. Recommenations based on the investigating team's appraisal of the situation were made. Such an epidemiological study could not have been undertaken without the cooperation and special skills of the individual members of the team. (AU)