Abstract:
This study focused on mental health problems of orphanage children, Jaffna district in Sri
Lanka. Most of the orphanage children have experienced emotional problem and witnessed
traumatic life events. Many children live in orphanage because of at least one or two reasons such
as death of parents been a victim of abuse, families involved with alcohol, domestic violence and
parents living separately. According to the Department of Probation and Child Care Services in
Sri Lanka. 223 children’s homes were registered in Jaffna. Literature indicates that the mental
health problems among children and adolescents were highly prevalent in war stricken
environments. A Sri Lanka study showed that many orphanage children had past psychological
problems such as trauma, depression, emotional and behavioural problems. This is a cross sectional and comparative study carried out among 14 and 15 year-old Tamil speaking orphanage
children in the Jaffna district. A simple random sampling method was used. The study group was
randomly selected from 208 boys and girls in Jaffna. Two study instruments were used for the
collection of data.
The results showed that 40.4% of orphanage chil dren have mental health problems. 46.2% of
14 years and 34.6% of 15 years children have mental health problems. 41.3% of boys and 39.4%
of girls have mental health problems. Emotional problems (25.9%), conduct problems (39%),
hyperactivity (18.8%), peer problems (31.7%), abnormal prosocial behavior (97%). Mental health
problems among orphanage children is significantly higher than the other studies. 14 years had
significantly higher mental health problem than 15 years (46.2% vs 34.6%). Boys had significantly
higher mental health problems than girls (41.3% vs.39.4%). The study also found a difference in
the correlates of mental health problems among the two age groups in orphanage children.
