Nearly one-third of children in Taiwan have mental health problems, with 3.1 percent having had suicidal thoughts within the past six months, a first-of-its-kind study has found. Among all mental illnesses, the most commonly experienced at any point in childhood by children and adolescents in Taiwan was found to be ADHD (11.1 percent), followed by nightmare disorder (8.8 percent), phobia (6.4 percent), conduct disorder (4.4 percent), separation anxiety disorder (3.3 percent), oppositional defiant disorder (1.9 percent) and social anxiety disorder (1.8 percent). In addition, the lifetime prevalence of suicidal thoughts was found to be 7.9 percent. But mental health problems can still have serious effects on children and adolescents' development, emotions and behavior. It is the first national epidemiological study of its kind on mental disorders among Taiwanese children, according to the Central News Agency.

Source: The China Post July 18, 2017 00:00 UTC