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Results for “Behavioral problems”

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At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

PubMed1996

Resilience and vulnerability among preschool children: family functioning, temperament, and behavior problems.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of child temperament and stressful family functioning on child behavior problems among preschool children. METHOD: One hundred forty-five preschool children, aged 2 to 5 years, were evaluated by teachers, mothers, and independent observers. Teachers reported on child temperament; from these ratings, two dimensions of temperament were derived: difficult/easy and approachability. Mothers reported on two dimensions of family functioning: conflict and expressiveness. Both teachers and independent observers rated child behavior problems. RESULTS: Children with more difficult temperaments who were in high-conflict families had the most internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, while children with easy temperaments had fewer such problems, regardless of levels of family conflict. Difficult children whose families were highly expressive engaged in the most observed aggression. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that temperament is involved in both protective and vulnerability processes. A difficult temperament operates as a vulnerability factor for internalizing and externalizing behavior problems and observed aggression, while an easy temperament functions as a protective mechanism for these outcomes.

Child Behavior Disorders↗

PubMed1997

Timing of paternal substance use disorder cessation and effects on problem behaviors in sons.

The developmental timing of paternal substance use disorder (SUD) offset on internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors was examined in prepubertal sons. Analyses revealed a significant main effect of the developmental timing of SUD offset on both internalizing and externalizing problems. No differences were found between sons of control-subject fathers and SUD+ fathers whose offsets occurred before the son's sixth birthday. However, when paternal SUD extended beyond the boys' sixth year, significant increases in internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors were found. The results suggest the importance of early parental SUD intervention in prevention of the intergenerational transmission of behavioral problems.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1999

Development of adolescent problem behavior.

The developmental model of adolescent antisocial behavior advanced by Patterson and colleagues (e.g., Patterson, Reid, & Dishion, 1992) appears to generalize the development of a diverse set of problem behaviors. Structural equation modeling methods were applied to 18-month longitudinal data from 523 adolescents. The problem behavior construct included substance use, antisocial behavior, academic failure, and risky sexual behavior. Families with high levels of conflict were less likely to have high levels of parent-child involvement. Such family conditions resulted in less adequate parental monitoring of adolescent behavior, making associations with deviant peers more likely. Poor parental monitoring and associations with deviant peers were strong predictors of engagement in problem behavior. These constructs accounted for 46% of the variance in problem behavior. Although association with deviant peers was the most proximal social influence on problem behavior, parental monitoring and family factors (conflict and involvement) were key parenting practices that influenced this developmental process.

Achievement↗

PubMed1991

The difficult temperament in adolescence: associations with substance use, family support, and problem behaviors.

This study investigated interrelations between the number of difficult temperament factors (e.g., arrhythmicity, inflexibility, high distractibility) and substance use, perceived family support, and problem behaviors for a sample of 297 adolescents (M age = 15.7 years). The number of adolescent difficult temperament factors was associated significantly with more childhood behavior problems (e.g., hyperactivity, conduct disordered symptoms), which suggests some continuity of disordered behavior from childhood to adolescence. Number of adolescent difficult temperament factors also was associated with a higher percentage of substance users (for cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, hard drugs), lower perceived family support, higher levels of depressive symptoms, and more delinquent activity. Number of difficult temperament factors was not associated significantly with gender or age of respondents.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1990

Chronic conditions, socioeconomic risks, and behavioral problems in children and adolescents.

Children with a chronic health condition have long been considered at excess risk for psychosocial morbidity. Despite an increasing prevalence of chronic childhood conditions and heightened concerns for the quality of life of the chronically ill, population-based studies of behavior problems among children with chronic physical conditions are rare. Findings on the epidemiology of behavior problems in a nationally representative sample of 11,699 children and adolescents aged 4 to 17 years in the United States are reported. Data included a 32-item parent-reported behavior problem index, measures of chronic childhood conditions, measures of school placement and performance, and sociodemographic variables. Analyses confirmed that chronic physical conditions were a significant risk factor for behavior problems, independent of sociodemographic variables. Among children these differences were observed across all subscales; among adolescents the largest differences were found for the Depression/Anxiety and Peer Conflict/Social Withdrawal subscales. Rates of extreme behavior problem scores (those in the top 10th percentile) were 1.55 times higher among children with a chronic health condition compared with children without a chronic condition (95% confidence interval 1.29 to 1.86). These independent odds were lowered to 1.44 when covariates for confounding were introduced via a multivariate logistic regression. Other independent risks included the absence of either biologic parent (odds ratio 2.05), male gender (1.53), low vs high family income (1.30), low vs high maternal education (1.51), and young vs old maternal age at childbirth (2.57). Chronic health conditions were also a major risk factor for placement in special education classes and having to repeat grades. Despite evidence for effective interventions, health services for children with chronic conditions--particularly mental health services--remain fragmented, signaling the need for increased attention to behavioral problems and their treatment among all health professionals caring for children.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2026

The Dual Role of Executive Functioning in the Association Between Family Socioeconomic Status and Children's Problem Behaviors.

Although prior research suggests that executive functioning may either mediate or moderate the association between family socioeconomic status (SES) and children's problem behaviors, examining these roles separately provides an incomplete account: mediation models may understate individual differences that are not attributable to the environment, whereas moderation models may understate the role of the environment in shaping personal characteristics. To integrate these perspectives, the present longitudinal study examined whether executive functioning simultaneously mediates and moderates the association between family SES and children's internalizing and externalizing problems. A total of 308 children in the early years of elementary school (MageT1 = 7.34 years; 138 girls) were assessed and followed up 39 months later. After controlling for children's gender, age, and grade, lower family SES at T1 significantly predicted higher levels of both internalizing and externalizing problems at T2. Executive functioning at T1 partially mediated these associations, indicating that differences in children's executive functioning partly accounted for socioeconomic disparities in problem behaviors. Executive functioning also moderated both associations: SES was negatively associated with problem behaviors among children with lower executive functioning but not among those with higher executive functioning. These findings highlight the dual role of executive functioning in the longitudinal association between SES and children's problem behaviors and suggest that executive functioning may be a promising target for efforts to reduce mental health disparities associated with socioeconomic disadvantage.

Humans↗

PubMed1995

Fighting as a marker for multiple problem behaviors in adolescents.

PURPOSE: Behaviors that put adolescents at risk frequently occur together. To help identify high-risk adolescents, we analyzed a national, self-reported behavior survey of high school students to assess the suitability of fighting as a marker for students with multiple problem behaviors. METHODS: A cross-sectional cluster survey of 11,631 U.S. high school students in 1990 was used to compare the prevalence of recent problem behaviors among all students and those who fight. RESULTS: One (8%) of every 12 students was in a fight during the 30 days before the survey. Reported problem behaviors were prevalent among fighters: during the previous 12 months, 24% attempted suicide; during the previous 30 days, 26% carried a firearm, 13% used cocaine, and 39% drove a motor vehicle while intoxicated; during the previous 3 months 41% had two or more sex partners; and 45% had sexual intercourse and did not use a condom the last time they had sex. Of all students, fighters accounted for 22% of those who reported attempting suicide, 49% carrying a firearm, 46% using cocaine, 18% driving while intoxicated, 25% having sex with multiple partners, and 11% not using condoms. Three or more of these six problem behaviors were reported by 26% of the fighters. The problem behaviors were all positively correlated, and the first principal component accounted for 35% of the total variation among the individual variables.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

Manipulating antecedent conditions to alter the stimulus control of problem behavior.

In a three-phase study, antecedent conditions involving instructor's task demands and social comments were evaluated for 3 students with severe disabilities who emitted problem behavior. The results of a descriptive analysis (Phase 1) demonstrated that task demands served as antecedents for problem behavior, and social comments were generally associated with increased levels of positive social affect. In a subsequent experimental analysis (Phase 2), an instructor emitted high rates of social comments and gradually faded in task demands across sessions. The results of Phase 2 showed initial reductions in problem behavior to near-zero levels from the onset of intervention, with the successful reintroduction of task demands for all students. Phase 3 replicated the procedures of Phase 1. The results demonstrated that for 2 students, task demands no longer served as antecedents to problem behavior. The outcomes from two social validity assessments indicated that substantial improvements were perceived in student behavior and that the independent variable was a socially acceptable means of reducing problem behavior.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Gender differences in the frequency and treatment of behavior problems in Parkinson's disease. SAGE Study Group. Systematic Assessment and Geriatric drug use via Epidemiology.

OBJECTIVE: To determine gender differences in the prevalence, survival rates, and management of noncognitive behavioral problems of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) in nursing homes (NH). METHODS: We performed an observational study on 24,402 residents with PD using the Systematic Assessment and Geriatric drug use via Epidemiology (SAGE) database collected from the Minimum Data Set on a cross-section of over 400,000 NH residents in five US states. Gender differences in behavior were used to predict differences in pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapies using logistic regression. Similar analyses were done to evaluate gender differences in 1-year survival rates among patients with PD with and without behavioral problems. RESULTS: 36% of men and 33% of women exhibited behavioral problems. Wandering, verbal and physical abusiveness, and inappropriate behavior tended to be more common in men, especially among PD residents with severe cognitive impairment. Hallucinations and delusions were equally prevalent between genders and depressive symptoms were more common in women. Regardless of behavioral manifestation, men were more likely to receive antipsychotic drugs, whereas women were more likely to receive antidepressants. This gender difference in treatment was also widest among the severely demented group. Although women lived longer, no difference in survival curves were noted between PD residents with and without behavioral problems. CONCLUSION: Gender appears to play an important role in determining the frequency and treatment of behavioral problems of NH residents with PD.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1999

Early behavior problems as a predictor of later peer group victimization: moderators and mediators in the pathways of social risk.

This study is a prospective investigation of the predictive association between early behavior problems (internalizing, externalizing, hyperactivity-impulsiveness, immaturity-dependency) and later victimization in the peer group. Teacher ratings of the behavioral adjustment of 389 kindergarten and 1st-grade children (approximate age range of 5 to 6 years-old) were obtained, using standardized behavior problem checklists. These ratings predicted peer nomination scores for victimization, obtained 3 years later, even after the prediction associated with concurrent behavior problems was statistically controlled. Further analyses suggested that the relation between early behavior problems and later victimization is mediated by peer rejection and moderated by children's dyadic friendships. Behavior problems appear to play an important role in determining victimization within the peer group, although the relevant pathways are complex and influenced by other aspects of children's social adjustment.

Aggression↗

PubMed2000

Association of 5HT2A receptor gene polymorphism and alcohol abuse with behavior problems.

This study investigated the association between T/C polymorphism, at position 102, of the 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A receptor gene and alcoholism with and without behavior problems. Eighty-five subjects (45 men, 40 women) with alcohol abuse, 75 subjects (51 men, 24 women) with alcohol dependence, and 70 normal control subjects (21 men, 49 women) participated in the study. The results show that the frequency of the homozygous T102 genotype was significantly lower in the group of male alcohol abuse with behavior problems than in the female group (chi(2) = 4.072, df = 1, P < 0.05) and the allele frequency of T102 was also lower in the male group than in the female group (chi(2) = 4.187, df = 1, P < 0.05). Of the male alcohol abuse subjects, the group with behavior problems was found to have lower frequencies of the T102 allele than the group without behavior problems (chi(2) = 4.328, df = 1, P < 0.05). In conclusion, this study demonstrates that alcoholism is heterogeneous and male alcohol abuse with behavioral problems was associated with T/C 102 polymorphism of the 5HT2A receptor gene. Am. J. Med. Genet. (Neuropsychiatr. Genet.) 96:797-800, 2000.

Alcoholism↗

PubMed1993

Effects of setting events on the problem behavior of students with severe disabilities.

Two studies analyzed the effects of preceding setting events on the problem behavior of students with severe disabilities. Using ABAB withdrawal designs, the occurrence versus nonoccurrence of preceding setting events was analyzed in relation to the frequency of problem behavior. Data were collected throughout a student's school day, with interventions focusing upon the elimination of setting events that occurred before school. The results indicate that (a) the occurrence of preceding setting events was related to higher frequencies of problem behavior and (b) interventions designed to eliminate preceding setting events were consistently associated with low frequencies of problem behavior.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1995

Developmental course of problem behaviors in adolescent adoptees.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the 3-year developmental course of problem behaviors and competencies in intercountry adoptees in adolescence and to determine the role of ethnicity and early adverse environmental influences on the development of problem behaviors. METHOD: In this prospective study, a sample of 1,538 intercountry adoptees, aged 11 to 14 years at initial assessment and 14 to 17 years at follow-up, were assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) at both occasions. RESULTS: Across the follow-up interval there was an increase in problem behaviors and a decrease in competencies. Increases in problem scores were greatest for the CBCL scales Withdrawn and Delinquent Behavior. These findings contrasted with the results from a longitudinal study of an epidemiological sample of children from the general population. The increase in problem scores could not be attributed to the age of the child at placement, the medical condition at placement, early neglect or abuse, or racial antagonism. CONCLUSION: In contrast with their agemates from the general population, intercountry adoptees showed an increase in maladaptive functioning in adolescence. Because early adverse influences were not responsible for the increase of problems, it was concluded that other factors pertaining to adolescent development interact negatively with adoption-specific factors that render individuals vulnerable to deviation from the normal developmental pathway.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Maternal stresses and depressive symptoms: correlates of behavior problems in young children.

In a sample of 115 mothers of 5- and 6-year-old children maternal everyday stressors, stressful life events, and maternal depressive symptoms were compared with mothers' reports of children's behavior problems. Maternal depressive symptoms did not mediate the relationship between either form of stress and child behavior problems. Maternal everyday stressors were more strongly associated with child behavior problems than were life events. Children of mothers indicating a high level of everyday stressors were 13 times more likely to be rated as having behavior problems than children of mothers reporting a low level of everyday stressors. The best prediction of mothers' reports of children's behavioral problems was provided by maternal everyday stressors and stressful life events considered simultaneously.

Adult↗

PubMed1983

Factor structure and norms for the Revised Behavior Problem Checklist in New Zealand children.

The Revised Behavior Problem Checklist (RBPC) is a recent expansion of the widely used Behavior Problem Checklist. This study attempted to replicate the factor structure of the RBPC, originally developed for U.S.A. children, and to establish norms for its use with New Zealand children. Two groups of children, aged five to 13 years, were rated on the scale by their parents. One was a clinic sample and comprised 266 patients attending two psychiatric clinics. The second was a random community sample of 267 children, from four census tracts in Auckland, selected to cover a range of socioeconomic strata representative of New Zealand. Factor analysis of the clinic data resulted in a factor structure similar to that found in American children. Only two of the six factors (Socialised Aggression and Psychotic Behaviour) differed to any degree. Using ratings from the community sample, norms were developed for screening and diagnostic purposes.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

A study of problem behaviors in 10- to 15-year-old biologically related and unrelated international adoptees.

Genetic and environmental influences on problem behaviors were studied in a sample of international adoptees. Parental ratings of childrens' problem behaviors were obtained with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). The sample (mean age, 12.4 years) comprised a group of biological siblings (111 pairs), a group of nonbiological siblings (221 pairs), and a group of singletons (94). Nonshared environmental influences were most important for problem behaviors studied in this paper. Genetic influences were substantial for Externalizing behaviors but unimportant for Internalizing behaviors. For the CBCL total problem score, Attention Problems, and Externalizing behaviors, the results of the present study were in agreement with findings from twin studies. The lack of genetic influences on Internalizing behaviors contrasts with results from twin studies. For the total problem score, the Externalizing grouping, Delinquent Behavior, and Aggressive Behavior, variances for singletons were significantly smaller than for siblings. Model fit indices indicated that these differences in variances are better attributed to smaller effects of factors associated with sibship size than to active influences of siblings on each other. Significant sex differences were found for 8 of the 10 scales. The larger variances for boys on the Externalizing grouping and Aggressive Behavior could be explained by genetic influences.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Factors associated with sexual behavior problems in young sexually abused children.

OBJECTIVE: To identify variables associated with the presence of sexual behavior problems in young sexually abused children. METHOD: Data were gathered from the clinical records of 100 sexually abused boys and girls ages 3-7 years enrolled in two treatment programs. Information was coded systematically on approximately 350 areas related to the child and family's history and functioning, the sexual abuse experience, and treatment outcome. The children were grouped and compared according to their presenting sexual behavior into three categories: (1) developmentally "expected"; (2) "sexualized/self-focused"; and (3) problematic "interpersonal" sexual behavior. RESULTS: Bivariate and multivariate analyses highlighted five variables which were predictive of sexual behavior problems among sexually abused children. Sexual arousal of the child during his/her sexual abuse, the perpetrator's use of sadism, and a history of physical and emotional abuse differentiated between those children with and without "interpersonal" sexual behavior problems. Who the child blamed for his/her sexual abuse further contributed to the distinction between children whose sexual behavior was exclusively "self-focused" (sexualized) versus "interpersonal." CONCLUSIONS: The five major predictor variables, as well as other variables identified in this study, have potential utility in assessing child risk for negative outcomes and determining referral priorities for sexual abuse treatment. Given that sexual arousal and who the child blames for the abuse are prominent variables associated with sexual problems and self-blame, clinicians will need to ensure that sexually abused children and their caregivers are given specific opportunities to deal with these areas in the supportive context of treatment. Children with sexual behavior problems differ not only in the type and level of sexual behavior they exhibit but in most other areas as well, suggesting a need for differential assessment and individualized treatment approaches.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed1995

The growth of conduct problem behaviors from middle childhood to early adolescence: sex differences and the suspected influence of early alcohol use.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the levels and rates of growth of conduct problem behaviors over time in an urban sample of American youth. Our hypotheses focused on differences between the sexes and between youths with and those without early use of alcohol without parental permission. METHOD: Data for this study are from an ongoing epidemiologic study of urban public school students, recruited originally at the time of their entry into Grades 1-2 between 1985 and 1987. Each spring, from 1991 to 1993, a total of 1,212 students were interviewed privately for this study. A total of 408 (54.2% female, 84.7% black) respondents met study criteria as either an "early unsanctioned alcohol user" or an "abstainer." These youths constitute the analytic subsample. RESULTS: Estimates from longitudinal growth modeling analyses showed that boys and girls had different initial levels of conduct problem behaviors, but similar rates of growth. Both the initial level of conduct problem behaviors and the rates of growth were greater for early unsanctioned alcohol users as compared to abstainers. In a combined analysis the difference between early unsanctioned alcohol users and abstainers seemed to offset the initially observed sex difference. CONCLUSION: Early alcohol use without parental permission was associated with higher levels of conduct problem behaviors by the ages of 10-12 years and higher rates of growth in those behaviors during the transition from late childhood to early adolescence for both boys and girls, although the levels differed by sex. It may be that unsanctioned early alcohol use puts youths on an accelerated pathway of conduct problem behaviors and development of conduct disorder in adolescence.

Adolescent↗