ABSTRACT
In addition to genetic and prenatal influences, the behaviour and adjustment of children can be affected by a wide range of factors in their social and physical environment. The majority of children in the developing world are brought up in relatively adverse economic, nutritional, infective, and obstetric climates. Their educational opportunities are less and family structure and social beliefs differ markedly from the prosperous countries where most child psychiatry research is undertaken. Given these influences, it is possible that differences in the prevalence and associations of childhood psychiatric disorder may be seen in developing countries.
