A Prospective Study of Childhood Emotional and Behavioural Problems in Port Pirie, South Australia

1996 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 781-787 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael G. Sawyer ◽  
Jane Mudge ◽  
Vanessa Carty ◽  
Peter Baghurst ◽  
Anthony McMichael
Keyword(s):  
South Australia ◽  
Attention Problems ◽  
Child Behaviour ◽  
Behavioural Problems ◽  
Emotional And Behavioural Problems ◽  
Behavioural Disorders ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
A Prospective Study ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Over Time

Objective: To describe the extent to which emotional and behavioural problems experienced by 5-year-old children living in or around Port Pirie, South Australia, persisted when the children were aged 11–12 years. Method: Childhood emotional and behavioural problems were identified at the age of 5 years using Child Behaviour Checklists completed by mothers. When the children were aged 11–12 years, problems were identified using checklists completed by mothers, children and teachers. Results: Attention problems, aggressive behaviour and anxious/depressed problems were the most persistent problems over this period of the children's lives. In general, the strongest relationship over time occurred when reports were obtained from mothers on each occasion. A weaker relationship existed between earlier mother-reported problems and later teacher-reported problems, while the relationship between mother-reported problems and later self-reported problems occupied an intermediate position. Conclusion: The course of problems among children in Port Pirie appeared similar to that previously reported for children in Holland and North America. To better understand the aetiology of psychiatric disorders and to plan for effective interventions, more information is needed about the natural course of childhood emotional and behavioural disorders in Australia.

Differences between Reports from Children, Parents and Teachers: Implications for Epidemiological Studies

1992 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 652-660 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Gifford Sawyer ◽  
Peter Baghurst ◽  
Jennifer Clark
Keyword(s):  
Representative Sample ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Behavioural Problems ◽  
Emotional And Behavioural Problems ◽  
Older Children ◽  
Behavioural Disorders ◽  
Methodological Problems

This study describes the different prevalences obtained when varying combinations of informants were used to identify emotional and behavioural disorders in a representative sample of 336 children living in two-parent families in the community of Adelaide, South Australia. When different informants were used to identify children with disorders, the estimated prevalences ranged from 3.3±1.6% to 17.9±4.1% for younger children, and 6.0±2.9% to 19.9±4.9% for older children. Results from the study highlight potential methodological problems which arise in epidemiological studies due to differences between reports from children, parents, and teachers describing childhood emotional and behavioural problems.

scholarly journals Exploring the impact of adolescent cognitive inflexibility on emotional and behavioural problems experienced by autistic adults

Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132110461
Author(s):  
Matthew J Hollocks ◽  
Tony Charman ◽  
Gillian Baird ◽  
Catherine Lord ◽  
Andrew Pickles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Intelligence Quotient ◽  
Behavioural Problems ◽  
Emotional And Behavioural Problems ◽  
Verbal Intelligence ◽  
Repetitive Behaviours ◽  
Verbal Intelligence Quotient ◽  
Cognitive Inflexibility ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Restricted And Repetitive Behaviours

Autistic young people experience high levels of co-occurring mental health difficulties, including anxiety, depression and behavioural difficulties, across their lifespan. Understanding the neuropsychological mechanisms which underlie these difficulties is vital in developing personalised supports and interventions. Cognitive inflexibility is one candidate mechanism which is associated with co-occurring mental health comorbidities but is also associated with other features of autism such as restricted and repetitive behaviours. This study investigates the distinct longitudinal association between cognitive inflexibility, measured using objective neuropsychological measures and emotional and behavioural problems across adolescence and early adulthood. Eighty-one autistic people from a population-based longitudinal study were assessed at 16 and 23 years on measures of emotional and behavioural problems, with cognitive inflexibility, restricted and repetitive behaviours and verbal intelligence quotient measured at 16 years. We used structural equation modelling to investigate the relationship between cognitive inflexibility and emotional and behavioural symptoms at both timepoints while accounting for the severity of restricted and repetitive behaviours and verbal intelligence quotient. Our results indicate an effect of cognitive inflexibility on increased behavioural problems at 16 years and emotional problems across timepoints, which is distinct from restricted and repetitive behaviours and verbal intelligence quotient. Exploratory mediation analyses suggest that cognitive inflexibility may be one mechanism through which emotional difficulties are maintained longitudinally. Lay abstract Autistic people experience high levels of co-occurring mental health difficulties. To develop more effective treatments, a greater understanding of the thinking processes that may lead to these difficulties is needed. Cognitive inflexibility, defined as a rigid pattern of thoughts and subsequently behaviours, is one possible thinking trait which has previously been associated with both co-occurring mental health difficulties but also other features of autism such as restricted and repetitive behaviours. Restricted and repetitive behaviours include repetitive movements, ritualistic behaviours, and/or highly focused interests. This study investigates the relationship between, cognitive inflexibility, measured using neuropsychological tasks, and emotional and behavioural problems across adolescence and early adulthood. Eighty-one autistic people who were recruited to be representative of the wider autism population were assessed at 16 and 23 years on measures of emotional and behavioural problems, with cognitive inflexibility, restricted and repetitive behaviours and verbal intelligence measured at 16 years. We used statistical modelling to investigate the relationship between cognitive inflexibility and emotional and behavioural symptoms at both timepoints while accounting for the possible relationship with restricted and repetitive behaviours and verbal intelligence quotient. Our results suggest that cognitive inflexibility may be an important factor associated with emotional difficulties across adolescence and early adulthood. This suggests that developing intervention approaches targeting cognitive inflexibility may be an important step in improving the mental health of those with autism.

scholarly journals Relation between Early Over- and Undertreatment and Behavioural Problems in Preadolescent Children with Congenital Hypothyroidism

2018 ◽  
Vol 90 (4) ◽  
pp. 247-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacoba J. Bongers-Schokking ◽  
Wilma C.M. Resing ◽  
Wilma Oostdijk ◽  
Yolanda B. de Rijke ◽  
Sabine M.P.F. de Muinck Keizer-Schrama
Keyword(s):  
Congenital Hypothyroidism ◽  
Attention Problems ◽  
Child Behaviour ◽  
Behavioural Problems ◽  
Steady State Concentration ◽  
Child Behaviour Checklist ◽  
Teacher’S Report Form ◽  
Per Se ◽  
Design And Methods ◽  
State Concentration

Objective: Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) per se, when not treated or undertreated, may lead to severe behavioural problems (cretinism), whereas overtreatment of CH seems associated with attention problems. Design and Methods: For 55 CH patients, prospectively followed from birth until 11 years, parents rated the Child Behaviour Checklist and teachers the Teacher’s Report Form at children’s ages 6 and 11 years. We related scores regarding Attention, Delinquency, and Aggression (ADA scores, indicative for attention deficit hyperactivity syndrome, ADHD), and scores regarding Withdrawn, Anxious, Social, and Thought problems (WAST scores, indicative for autism) to the occurrence of over- and undertreatment in five age periods. Over- and undertreatment were defined as free thyroxine (fT4) concentrations above/below the range of the patient’s individual fT4 steady state concentration. Results: ADA scores at 6 and 11 years for patients overtreated in the period 1–3 months postnatally were higher than those for patients who were not overtreated. Patients with severe CH undertreated in the period 3–6 months postnatally had higher WAST scores at 6 and 11 years than all other patients. Conclusions: This is the first study suggesting that permanent ADHD as well as autism in CH patients at ages 6 and 11 years are the result of early overtreatment and undertreatment, respectively.

scholarly journals Fast Foods, Emotional and Behavioural Problems among Overweight and Obese Adolescents Participating in MyBFF@school Intervention Program

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahari Ishak ◽  
Suet Fin Low ◽  
Wan Abdul Hakim Wan Ibrahim ◽  
Abqariyah Yahya ◽  
Fuziah Md. Zain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Consumption ◽  
Fast Food ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
Attention Problems ◽  
School Intervention ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Behavioural Problems ◽  
Emotional And Behavioural Problems ◽  
Obese Adolescents ◽  
Fast Food Consumption

<p>This study aimed to assess the association between the frequency of fast food consumption in the past week with emotional and behavioural problems of 624 overweight and obese adolescents (mean age = 14.6). Frequency of fast food consumption was assessed through a pre-tested nutritional knowledge, attitude and practice questionnaire. Meanwhile, the Youth Self-Report questionnaire was used to measure emotional and behavioural problems. Spearman’s rank-order correlation was used to measure the strength of relationships. Positive associations that are statistically significant were found between frequency of fast food consumption and syndromes of anxious/depressed (rs=0.082, p<0.05), somatic complaints (rs=0.139, p<0.01), social problems (rs=0.115, p <0.01), thought problems (rs=0.118, p<0.01), attention problems (rs=0.125, p<0.01), rule-breaking behaviour (rs=0.144, p<0.001), and aggressive behaviour (rs=0.168, p<0.001). There were also differences found in the associations based on gender, locality of schools and ethnicity. Therefore, adolescents should be discouraged from consuming fast food as much as possible.</p>

Parental post-traumatic stress, overprotective parenting, and emotional and behavioural problems for children with critical congenital heart disease

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Linda G. McWhorter ◽  
Jennifer Christofferson ◽  
Trent Neely ◽  
Aimee K. Hildenbrand ◽  
Melissa A. Alderfer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Child Outcomes ◽  
Behavioural Problems ◽  
Emotional And Behavioural Problems ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Symptoms ◽  
Post Traumatic Growth ◽  
Overprotective Parenting ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Objective: To examine relationships amongst parental post-traumatic stress symptoms, parental post-traumatic growth, overprotective parenting, and child emotional/behavioural problems in families of children with critical CHD. Method: Sixty parents (15 fathers) of children aged 1–6 completed online questionnaires assessing parental post-traumatic stress symptoms and post-traumatic growth, overprotective parenting, and child emotional/behavioural problems. Bivariate correlations and mediational analyses were conducted to evaluate overprotective parenting as a mediator of the association between parental post-traumatic stress symptoms and child emotional/behavioural problems. Results: Parents reported significant post-traumatic stress symptoms, with over 18% meeting criteria for post–traumatic stress disorder and 70% meeting criteria in one or more clusters. Parental post-traumatic growth was positively correlated with intrusion (r = .32, p = .01) but it was not associated with other post-traumatic stress symptom clusters. Parental post-traumatic stress symptoms were positively associated with overprotective parenting (r = .37, p = .008) and total child emotional/behavioural problems (r = .29, p = .037). Overprotective parenting was positively associated with total child emotional/behavioural problems (r = .45, p = .001) and fully mediated the relationship between parental post-traumatic stress symptoms and child emotional/behavioural problems. Conclusion: Overprotective parenting mediates the relationship between parental post-traumatic stress symptoms and child emotional and behavioural problems in families of children with CHD. Both parental post-traumatic stress symptoms and overprotective parenting may be modifiable risk factors for poor child outcomes. This study highlights the need for interventions to prevent or reduce parental post-traumatic stress symptoms and to promote effective parenting following a diagnosis of CHD.

scholarly journals Resilience and Its Association with Depression, Emotional and Behavioural Problems, and Mental Health Service Utilisation among Refugee Adolescents Living in South Australia

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tahereh Ziaian ◽  
Helena de Anstiss ◽  
Georgia Antoniou ◽  
Peter Baghurst ◽  
Michael Sawyer
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Behavioural Problems ◽  
Refugee Children ◽  
Service Utilisation ◽  
Emotional And Behavioural Problems

Background. Despite the frequency of traumatic or stressful events experienced by refugee children and adolescents prior to migration and following resettlement, the majority do not experience mental health problems emphasising the critical nature of resilience. While a host of factors deemed to be protective of mental health in young refugees have been identified, there has been little research exploring the role of resilience as a distinct psychological construct. This study aimed to explore the nature of psychological resilience in refugee adolescents and the relationship between resilience and depression, other emotional and behavioural problems, and mental health service uptake. Method. One hundred and seventy multiethnic refugee adolescents aged 13–17 from South Australia were administered a survey comprising the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI), and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results. Females tended to have higher resilience, as did those adolescents who had been living in Australia longer. Adolescents suffering from depressive symptoms or other emotional or behavioural problems had lower resilience. There was little evidence of an association between resilience scores and exposure to trauma or service utilisation. Discussion. Fostering resilience may be critical to efforts to prevent or reduce mental health problems in refugee adolescents.

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