I would guess that in fact nothing has actually changed since the 1930's. I don't have any statistics but I would assume the number of child psychologists/therapists that we have now was far fewer in the 1930's and therefore the ability to monitor for such sysmtoms reduced.
Also what now would be classified as attention defict dissorder or hyperactivity probably then would have just been called "stupid" or "badly behaved".

chris, telheiras,

You have to be very careful where these studies were carried out and also the nutters that provide the questions and the nutters that ask them. I have a psychology degree, I know how easy it is to manipulate statistics to make them give you what you hope to find.

Stop giving kids everything they ask for and spend some time playing in the mud or sand with them, getting out into the parks or country and getting wet or mucky will do them the world of good. Making cakes and pastry is another good therapy. Yes, I'm old, I'm 63, but I know I'm right.

I also know from personal experience with my family that cannabis makes people into depressives and psychos, as does free sex, girls giving themselves away to worthless beings damages them.

Christine, Hayes, Middlesex, England

Please remember that back in the 1930's homosexuals were considered to be mentally ill and you could be considered to be morally bankrupt if you conceived a child out of wedlock regardless of the circumstances. Needless to say many families back then would attempt to cover up any mental health issues in their offspring in fear of them being committed. However it is surely safe to say that the pendulum of political correctness and human rights has now swung to far in the opposite direction. Children and young people nowadays have many rights but no moral direction. Society is created by setting parameters on what is acceptable and what is unacceptable behaviour but the simple equation of cause and effect has been almost eradicated from todays children's lives, therefore it is any wonder that many of them are floundering. In order to qualify for human rights is it to simplistic to suggest that those rights should be earned by playing by the rules and not automatically given.

Catriona Straine-Urquhart, Edinburgh, UK

Are they using the same standards now as in the 1930s? Would have thought now we are relatively MORE sensitive. Back in the day when men were men, and women were women, children had to be well out of order to be considered unbalanced Otherwise they were just naughty!

Francis, London, UK

Really what do we expect.

More chemicals flowing around systems from food and our environment. More pressures in work for the parents and in school for kids with more testing.

Lovely and its only going to get worse

steve, Reading,

It will be interesting to see how the comparisons between the 30s and now are done when the final report comes out. Society has become much more aware of psychological problems since the 30s. How can mental health then and now be reasonably compared if the definitions and diagonosis have so radically changed. Many children that would today be considered to have mental health problems may have remained undiagnosed in the 30s, mental conditions that are accepted now were not in existence then. I suppose we will have to wait until we see the sources until we really know.

Graeme, Lincolnshire,