Socio-cultural determinants of psychiatric symptomatology in James Bay Cree children and adolescents.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the type of psychiatric disorders found in 100 Cree children living in a Native community in northern Quebec.

METHOD

Standardized semi-structured interviews were given to all children and their caregivers, collecting 24 items of information.

RESULTS

51% of the children did not qualify for a DSM-III-R diagnosis but their frequently severe behavioural symptoms could be categorized by using 5 types of socio-cultural disturbances. There were also significant correlations between parental educational level, including length of time spent away from home, and the number of stress factors the children had been exposed to.

CONCLUSION

There is a need to develop a diagnostic classification for child psychiatric disorders for aboriginal children.