In order to explore the magnitude of spec ific mental and behavioural disorders and theirrnsocio-demographic correlates in children, a study was conducted in Butajira, SouthernrnEthiopia, using the Amharic version of the Diagnostic Instrument for Children andrnAdolescents (OICA). A total of 1477 children were assessed; 3.5 % of the study subjectsrnhad at least one or more mental or behavioural disorders. The most frequent diagnosesrnwere anxiety disorder (1.6%), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (1.5%);rnand disruptive behavioural di sorder ( 1.5%). Mood disorders (1%) and eliminationrndi sorders (0.8%) were re latively less common. Residence in urban area was associatedrnwith ADHD:OR(95 % CI) = 3.03 (1. 11-8.04).ADHD was also associated with increasingrnage, having a single parent, or a chronica lly sick family member: OR (95 % CI) = 3.32rn( 1.15-10.33), 4.63(1.25-1 7.3 1), 5.56(2.16-1 4.16), respectively. Disruptive behaviouralrndisorders were significantly assoc iated wi th increasing age, parents not li ving together,rnsevere financial problem and with the presence of chronical ly sick fam ily member ORrn(95 % CI) =4.41(1.40-15.45),4.63(1.05- 17.31),2.77(1.05,7.12), and 8.15 (3.23,20.56),rnrespective ly. Living in a house with more than one room was also significantly butrninversely, associated with anxiety disorder: OR(95%CI)=0.39 (0.16,0.95). Moodrndisorders were associated with the presence of parents not living together, financialrnprob lem and chroni ca lly s ick family member: OR (95 % CI ) = 4.44 (1.00, 18 .57), 5.57rn(1.82, 17.20), and 12.12(3.89,38.84), respective ly. Enuresis was found to have nornstatistically significant association with any of the variab les mentioned. Specific mentalrnand behavioural disorders in chi ldren were fo und significant public health problems