Globally, approximately 10% - 20% of children and adolescents experience mental health problems and the majority of them are living in low- and middle-income countries. Children of female sex workers are often exposed to unsafe environments, traumatic experiences and a mentally ill parent, putting them at risk for developing mental health problems themselves | Mental health and functioning in school age children of female entertainment workers in Cambodia VNU Journal of Science: Education Research, Vol. 35, No. 3 (2019) 78-90 Original Article Mental Health and Functioning in School Age Children of Female Entertainment Workers in Cambodia Nil Ean1,3,*, Amie Alley Pollack2, Do Khanh Ngoc3 1 Department of Psychology, Royal University of Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia 2 Vanderbilt University, Department of Psychology and Human Development, Peabody College, 230 Appleton Place, Nashville, TN 37203 USA; ORCID: 0000-0001-6927-5297 3 VNU University of Education, 144 Xuan Thuy, Cau Giay, Hanoi, Vietnam Received 13 August 2019 Revised 16 September 2019; Accepted 16 September 2019 Abstract: Globally, approximately 10% - 20% of children and adolescents experience mental health problems and the majority of them are living in low- and middle-income countries. Children of female sex workers are often exposed to unsafe environments, traumatic experiences and a mentally ill parent, putting them at risk for developing mental health problems themselves. Research on the mental health and functioning of children of female sex workers during their school age is limited. This paper will explore the mental health and functioning of female sex workers’ children. Method: The study included 160 female entertainment workers (FEWs) and 60 of their children from four provinces of Cambodia. FEW’s mental health, and children’s mental health and functioning were measured. Result: FEWs demonstrated high rates of depression (67%) and anxiety (61%), and reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Of the 60 children, the majority got their education at primary school (68%) and secondary school (25%). of them reported symptoms of functional impairment, suffered from psychological distress, and have PTSD symptoms above the clinical threshold. Children’s
