Purpose Ongoing armed conflicts, like the one inColombia, have forcibly displaced millions of peopleincluding many young children. This study aimed to assessthe mental health of internally displaced preschoolers inBogota´ Colombia and to identify correlates of mentalhealth in these children. Methods Cross-sectional study conducted among 279children attending four kindergartens in a deprived neighbourhoodin Bogota´. Child mental health was assessed withthe Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) 1. 5–5 years, aparent-report. Univariate analyses and multivariate logisticregressions were performed to assess the associationbetween displacement and child mental health and toidentify correlates of mental health in displaced children. Results Displaced children (n = 90) more often met borderlinecut-off scores for the CBCL scales than non-displacedchildren (n = 189) (e. g. total problems 46. 7 vs. 22. 8 %; p/0. 001). The association between displacement andpresence of CBCL total problems remained after adjustmentfor socio-demographic factors (AdjustedOR3. 3, 95 %CI 1. 5; 6. 9). Caretaker’s mental health partly explained the association. In displaced children, caretaker’s mental health(p/0. 01) and family functioning (p/0. 01) were independentlyassociated with child mental health. Exposure to traumaticevents and social support was also associated with childmental health; however, associations were not independent. Conclusion In this deprived neighbourhood in Bogota´, preschool children registered as internally displaced presentedworse mental health than non-displaced peers. Familyfunctioning and caretaker’s mental health were strongly andindependently associated with displaced children’s mentalhealth.
