ArticleSocial psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology2022
Psychopathology in Children and Adolescents in Lebanon Study (PALS): a national household survey.
Article in Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 17 papers.
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 33 citations in OpenAlex.
- The effectiveness of an emotional intelligence intervention on Lebanese adolescent mental health: A mixed-method study with emotional diary integration.The British journal of developmental psychology · 2026Article
- Youth mental health treatment gap in lebanon: correlates of barriers to accessing child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2026Article
- Adolescent mortality in Lebanon (2017-2022): Trends, causes, and policy implications.Public health in practice (Oxford, England) · 2026Article
- Prevalence and patterns of sleep disturbances in pediatric psychiatric and non-psychiatric populations: a cross-sectional study in Lebanon.BMC psychiatry · 2026Article
- From promise to practice: artificial intelligence in mental health care in the MENA region.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Review
- Low caregiver state anxiety is associated with worse glycemic control in youth with type 1 diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2026Article
- Agreement between child- and informant-based mental health assessments: results from a national population-based study in Lebanon.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2026Article
- Mental health status among university students during the transition period from high school to university in Lebanon: a cross-sectional study.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Psychometric properties of the Arabic spence children's anxiety scale parent in a sample of Arabic speaking adults.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- The relationship between household food insecurity and quality of life among children aged 7-13 years: effects of parent-reported disordered eating, anxiety and depression.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Psychometric properties of an Arabic translation of the 13-item short mood and feelings questionnaire- parent version (SMFQ-P) to screen for depression in children.BMC psychiatry · 2025Article
- A Framework for School-Based Mental Health Programs in Conflict Zones.Community mental health journal · 2025Article
- Prevalence and correlates of emotion dysregulation among children and adolescents in Lebanon: results from a National Survey.BMC psychiatry · 2024Article
- Behavioral difficulties and associated factors among the 'lost generation' of Syrian children and adolescents.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- A Climbing (Bouldering) Intervention to Increase the Psychological Well-Being of Adolescents in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon-Study Protocol for a Controlled Trial.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- How to help children traumatized by war.Nature · 2022Article
- Tackling the mental-health crisis in young people.Nature · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionPsychiatric disorders are among the leading causes of disability in children and adolescents globally. In Lebanon, a country that has endured a prolonged history of conflict and economic and political uncertainty, mental health surveys in children and adolescents have been limited to specific disorders or specific settings or cities. PALS (Psychopathology in Children and Adolescents in Lebanon Study) is the first study to screen a nationally representative sample of children and adolescents for psychiatric disorders and estimate the national prevalence of children and adolescents at risk of having a psychiatric disorder.
methodsA nationally representative household sample of 1517 children and adolescents (aged 5 years 0 months to 17 years 11 months) was recruited through a multi-stage stratified proportionate sampling technique between February 2018 and November 2018. Parents and adolescents completed a battery of self-reported scales including the Strengths and Feelings Questionnaire (SDQ), Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ), Screen for Child Anxiety and Emotional Related Disorders (SCARED), the Peer Relations Questionnaire (PRQ), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), and Conflict Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ), Child Revised Impact of Events Scale (CRIES), and a demographic/clinical information questionnaire. Logistic regression models were used to examine the correlates of screening positive for psychiatric disorders.
resultsAbout a third of children and adolescents (32.7%, n = 497) screened positive for at least one psychiatric disorder, of whom only 5% (n = 25) reported ever seeking professional mental health help. Academic performance, having a chronic physical illness, higher parental GHQ scores, and involvement in bullying were associated with a higher odds of screening positive for a psychiatric disorder. Higher family income was negatively associated with screening positive for a psychiatric disorder.
conclusionThis first national study shows a high prevalence of psychiatric symptoms in Lebanese children and adolescents and an alarming treatment gap. School-based primary prevention programs or screening in primary care settings are key for early detection and management of psychiatric symptoms, and prevention of psychiatric disorders.
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