Prevalence and correlates of mental health difficulties in young Ghanaian children.

Nearly half of young Ghanaian children (ages 6-60 months) were at risk of socioemotional difficulties according to the ASQ:SE-2.

• Overall prevalence of socioemotional difficulties in the whole sample was 47.1% (95% CI 43.5% to 50.6%).
• Data came from 748 households with data on child mental health out of 750 total households.
• The study used a cross-sectional design called the Mental Health in Ghana study.
• The ASQ:SE-2 was administered for all children ages 6-60 months as the gold standard measure.

Male children had a higher prevalence of socioemotional difficulties compared to female children.

• Prevalence in male children was 51.6% (95% CI 46.5% to 56.7%).
• Prevalence in female children was 42.5% (95% CI 37.5% to 47.6%).
• This sex difference was observed across the full sample of children ages 6-60 months.

Children aged 6-36 months had a higher prevalence of socioemotional difficulties than children aged 37-60 months.

• Among children aged 6-36 months, 35.9% (95% CI 31.4% to 40.4%) were at risk of socioemotional difficulties according to the CREDI and ASQ:SE-2.
• Among children aged 37-60 months, prevalence was slightly lower at 26.3% (95% CI 21.2% to 31.4%) according to the SDQ and ASQ:SE-2.
• Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to determine CREDI and SDQ cut-offs with the ASQ:SE-2 as the gold standard.

Maternal and paternal positive mental health and maternal use of positive disciplinary strategies were significantly associated with fewer socioemotional difficulties in female children.

• These associations were identified through multivariate linear regression analyses.
• Both maternal and paternal positive mental health were significant protective factors specifically for female children.
• Maternal use of positive disciplinary strategies was also a significant protective factor for female children.
• These factors were not equivalently significant for male children.

Only maternal positive mental health was a significant protective factor for male children's mental health.

• Paternal positive mental health and maternal positive disciplinary strategies were not significant protective factors for male children.
• This finding highlights sex differences in the correlates of child socioemotional difficulties.
• The study measured parental positive mental health as reported by mothers and fathers separately.

Only 10% of child mental health research is conducted in low- and middle-income countries despite 90% of youth living in these settings.

• This disparity in research representation motivated the study's focus on Ghanaian children.
• The study aimed to shed light on the mental health of Ghanaian children by estimating the prevalence of socioemotional difficulties and examining associations with psychosocial risk and protective factors.