Child mental health problems in the Gaza Strip.

This study describes the mental health characteristics of 150 children of 6-13 years of age, who had been referred to different types of services in the Gaza Strip: a community mental health center, five primary health centers and a pediatric hospital. There was a high rate of somatising disorders among children referred to the mental health center (42%). Parent-reported rates of significant mental health problems were high for all groups, i.e., 70% in the mental health center group, 30% in the pediatric group, and 18% among children referred to primary health centers.