Abstract Introduction Most children/adolescents with disability live in low and middle-income countries and, worldwide, they are more likely to have mental health problems and achieve worse academic performance compared to those with typical development. Objective To assess whether Brazilian children/adolescents with four types of disabilities are more likely to have psychiatric disorders and educational deficits than children/adolescents with typical development. Method A multicenter cross-sectional study involving a school-based probabilistic sample of second to sixth graders (N = 1,674) from public schools in four Brazilian regions. The four types of disabilities (intellectual, visual, hearing, and motor) were assessed using the Ten Questions Questionnaire. Psychiatric disorders were measured with the Schedule for Affective Disorders/Schizophrenia for School-Age Children (K-SADS-PL), and academic performance was evaluated using the Teste de Desempenho Acadêmico – TDE (the academic performance test). Results A logistic regression model with cluster-robust errors identified the following statistically significant associations with three of the four types of disability (the exception was hearing). Intellectual disability was associated with anxiety (p < 0.01), depression (p < 0.01), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (p < 0.001), school failure (p < 0.01), and poor academic performance (p < 0.01). Visual disability was associated with depression (p < 0.01). Motor disability was marginally associated with ADHD (p = 0.08). Conclusions Presence of disabilities (intellectual, visual, and motor) in children/adolescents was associated with psychiatric disorders, school failure, and academic performance. It is therefore important to identify presence of disabilities and plan and deliver specific interventions and specialized educational care for the needs presented by these children/adolescents. This is particularly important in low and middle-income countries, where these disabilities are frequent among children/adolescents.

Observações clínicas efetuadas por psicanalistas sugerem que psicopatologias da idade adulta podem ter sido originadas na infância. Estudos publicados na última década identificaram associação entre trauma na infância e depressão na vida adulta. Vivências traumáticas na infância, como a perda de vínculos afetivos devido à morte de pais ou de irmãos ou, ainda, a privação de um ou de ambos os pais por separação ou abandono constituem importantes fatores associados à depressão na vida adulta. O objetivo do presente artigo é revisar a literatura dos últimos dez anos, considerando os fatores associados à depressão, particularmente aqueles relacionados aos estressores presentes na infância. A metodologia utilizada foi de busca on-line nas bases de dados Medline, PsycINFO, Cochrane e Lilacs, referentes ao período de maio de 1991 a maio de 2001. A maioria dos estudos incluídos nesta revisão encontrou uma associação significativa entre trauma por perdas na infância e depressão na vida adulta, com variação na intensidade das associações observadas.

Clinical observations from psychoanalysts suggest that psychopathologies in adulthood might have been originated in childhood. Studies published in the last decade identified a significant association between childhood trauma and depression in adulthood. Trauma experienced during childhood such as ruptures due to the death of parents or siblings, or deprivation of one or both parents due to separation or abandonment are important factors associated to depression in adult life. The objective of the present paper is to review the last ten years of literature regarding the factors associated to depression, particularly those related to childhood stressors. Literature search was based on Medline, PsycINFO, Cochrane and LILACS, referring to the period from May 1991 to May 2001. The majority of studies included in this review found a significant association between childhood loss trauma and depression in adult life, with variation in the magnitude of the observed associations.