SUMMARYA total survey of psychiatric symptoms of primary school children attending three schools in economically distinct areas of Uganda was made. The symptoms were compared with those displayed by primary school aged children committed to a reform school and patients attending a child psychiatric outpatient clinic in the same country. Results indicate that high and low scoring school children and reform school children have different family backgrounds. There was good correlation between parent and teachers in identifying disturbed youngsters and characteristic diagnostic patterns of school and clinic children. The significance of these findings is discussed in terms of the role child psychiatry may play in developing countries.