Childhood Mental Health in Rural Northeast India: Community-Linked Insights From a Retrospective Study
Vishnupriya Veeraraghavan1, Krishnan Srinivasan2
1Child Development and Early Intervention Centre, Department of Paediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Guwahati, India.
Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry
|November 26, 2025
Summary
Childhood neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and psychiatric conditions significantly impact well-being. Rural Indian children face delayed treatment due to stigma, worsening outcomes and highlighting the need for community studies.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychiatry
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Rural Health
Background:
- Child psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) significantly affect children's well-being and family life.
- Existing research on childhood NDD prevalence is predominantly urban, neglecting rural populations.
- Rural communities in North-East India remain underrepresented in NDD research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and characteristics of psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders in children from rural Assam.
- To understand the diagnostic distribution of NDDs and psychiatric conditions in a rural Indian pediatric population.
- To identify challenges in accessing care for NDDs in rural settings.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of medical records for children diagnosed with NDDs or psychiatric disorders.
- Inclusion of 214 children from rural Assam who provided consent.
- Application of descriptive statistics to summarize socio-demographic and diagnostic data based on ICD-11CDDR.
Main Results:
- Over a 20-month period, 214 children from rural Assam were included in the study.
- Neurodevelopmental disorders were diagnosed in 36% of participants.
- Psychiatric conditions were present in 82% of the child participants.
Conclusions:
- NDDs present a significant burden on families in rural areas.
- Lack of awareness and stigma in rural settings delay treatment and worsen outcomes.
- Urgent need for community-based epidemiological studies in rural areas to inform policy and advocacy for NDDs.
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