Prevalence of School Non-attendance Among Children and Adolescents Being Managed for Neuropsychiatric Conditions at a Mental Health Facility in Lagos, Nigeria

Education is vital to the development of the skills and talent in every child. Children with neuropsychiatric conditions (NPCs) additionally require schooling to help them overcome some of those impairments that result from their neuropsychiatric condition. The aim of this study was to determine the psychiatric and neurological conditions that were most frequently associated with school non-attendance (SNA) among children and adolescents attending a child mental health facility of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba in Lagos, Nigeria. The cross-sectional descriptive study involved 443 participants who were selected using systematic random sampling from among the children and adolescents attending the outpatient clinic of the above stated facility. The questionnaire consisted of a sociodemographic section and the child’s schooling history. A proforma was used to collect clinical data about the participants and each child’s condition was diagnosed using the ICD-10 research diagnostic criteria. Prevalence of SNA among the sample was 28.0%. Of the sixteen childhood neuropsychiatric conditions diagnosed among participants, SNA was found to be commonest among children with autistic spectrum disorders (58.5%) and severe depressive disorders in that order. Significantly more of the children suffering from epilepsy comorbid with mild psychiatric symptoms attended school when compared with children with primarily psychiatric disorders. The presence of NPCs comorbid with other mental or neurological conditions tended to significantly increase SNA. In conclusion, SNA is most common among children with autistic spectrum disorders. An awareness of this situation will help to recommend and plan appropriate schooling curriculum and placement for these children and influence policies regarding formulations of special needs schools. Also, collaboration of healthcare professionals with education administrators may help to ensure the provision of individualized education curriculum that will aid more children with NPCs to participate in schooling during their schooling years.