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Results for “Behavioral problems”

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PubMed1998

Prenatal cocaine exposure and child behavior.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate previous teacher reports that children exposed to cocaine prenatally have more problem behaviors. METHODS: A historical, prospective design was used. Maternal subjects (n = 116) of 6-year-old singleton, term (>/=36 weeks) children, and the children's first-grade teachers (n = 102) agreed to participate. The child's first-grade teacher, blinded to study design and exposure status, rated the child's behavior with the Conners' Teacher Rating Scales (CTRS) and an investigator-developed scale, the Problem Behavior Scale (PROBS 14), measuring behaviors reported by educators to be specific to cocaine exposure. Mothers were interviewed by telephone regarding demographic and socioeconomic factors. RESULTS: Although the cocaine-exposed group had higher (more problem behaviors) for each of the CTRS subscales, the overall multivariate analysis of variance for the CTRS was not significant. Children exposed to cocaine prenatally had higher scores (more problem behaviors) for 11 of the 14 PROBS items and the overall multivariate analysis of variance relating prenatal cocaine exposure to the PROBS was significant (Wilkes' lambda =.775), even after controlling for gender and prenatal exposure to alcohol and cigarettes. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study supports that teachers blinded to exposure status of early elementary students did rate the cocaine-exposed group as demonstrating significantly more problem behaviors than control children. Although an important first step, postnatal factors that also may influence behavior were not evaluated; hence, causation is not addressed.

Case-Control Studies↗

PubMed1997

Does psychiatric history bias mothers' reports? An application of a new analytic approach.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether mothers' psychiatric history biases reports of their children's behavior problems, mothers' and teachers' reports of children's behavior problems were compared using a recently developed statistical approach. METHOD: Child Behavior Checklists and Teacher's Report Forms were completed by mothers and teachers, respectively, about 801 six-year-old children. Mother's history of major depression, anxiety disorders, and substance use disorder was assessed by using the National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Generalized estimating equations were used for data analysis. RESULTS: According to both teachers and mothers, maternal history of major depression was associated with more internalizing problems; the association was significantly stronger when mothers were the informants. Mothers with history of any psychiatric disorder reported more externalizing problems in their children than expected, whereas teachers' reports of externalizing behaviors were unrelated to maternal psychiatric history. These findings could not be explained by variations in children's behaviors across settings. CONCLUSION: The generalized estimating equation models enabled simultaneous examination of whether children of depressed mothers have excess behavior problems and whether depressed mothers overreport behavior problems in their children. The results indicate that children of depressed mothers have more internalizing problems. In addition, depressed mothers overstate and overgeneralize their offspring's behavior problems. This study broadens the concerns with reporting bias beyond maternal depression to include other psychiatric problems. The results emphasize the potential for bias in family history studies that rely on informants.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

Infant temperament and school age behavior: 6-year longitudinal study in a pediatric practice.

We conducted a retrospective cohort study in a pediatric practice to assess the association between parents' ratings of temperamental difficulty (observations of specific infant behaviors) and perceptions of temperamental difficulty (impressions of one's infant as compared with other infants) in infancy and behavior problems at school age. Mothers of 129 infants, who had completed the Revised Infant Temperament Questionnaire at the 4-month visit, completed the Child Behavior Checklist when the child was 6 years of age. Teachers of 102 of these children completed the teacher Child Behavior Checklist. Temperamental difficulty was defined by assessments of rhythmicity, approach/withdrawal, intensity, mood, and adaptability. Initial analyses revealed that low socioeconomic status (r = -.29, P = .001), ratings of temperamental difficulty (r = .17, P = .06), and perceptions of temperamental difficulty (r = .22, P = .02) at 4 months of age were associated with increased maternal rating of behavior problems at 6 years of age (all 2-tailed tests). However, a multivariate regression analysis showed only low socioeconomic status (P less than .01) and increased perceptions of temperamental difficulty (P = .02) associated with maternal behavior problem scores. Teacher behavior problem scores were associated only with low socioeconomic status (r = -.27, P = .01). These results suggest that the link between difficult infant temperament and later behavior problems is complex and probably reflects both child factors and parent attitudes about what constitutes typical infant behavior.

Child↗

PubMed1999

Reasons for drinking in relation to problem drinking behavior in a sample of Japanese high school students.

To clarify reasons for drinking in relation to problem drinking behavior, 494 male students, aged 15 to 18 years old and attending high schools in Tokyo, Japan, were examined by self-rating questionnaires including the Kuriharna Alcoholism Screening Test (KAST). Three hundred and forty-two students (69%) completed the questionnaires, of whom 143 indicated that they were current drinkers of alcohol (42% of respondents). Of the 143,16 (11%) reported, through the KAST, experience of problem drinking behavior. A factor analysis of 36 reasons for drinking identified 5 factors: Escapism, Sociability, Tension Reduction, Acting Like a Man, and Enjoyment/Home. A logistic regression analysis showed that drinking because of Escapism, Sociability, and Tension Reduction was significantly related to problem drinking behavior. Also, there was significant correlation between the 3 factors and the number of KAST items experienced by the 143 respondents. Our findings suggest that the factors of Escapism, Sociability, and Tension Reduction lead to problem drinking in Japanese high school students.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1993

Impact of family relocation on children's growth, development, school function, and behavior.

OBJECTIVE: The United States is a highly mobile society, with family relocation rates double those of Great Britain and Germany. The objective of this study was to describe the impact of frequent family moves on reported rates of delay in growth or development, learning disorders, school failure, and frequent behavioral problems in US school-age children. DESIGN AND SETTING: We analyzed data on 9915 six- to 17-year-old children of families responding to the 1988 National Health Interview Survey, a nationally representative sample of families and children. OUTCOME MEASURES: Parents were asked to report the total number of moves the index child had experienced during his or her lifetime. Total moves were adjusted for the child's age in years. Children were divided into two groups: never moved/infrequent relocation (below the 90th percentile for age-adjusted moves) and frequent relocation (above the 90th percentile for age-adjusted moves). The parent was asked if the child had ever had a learning disability or a delay in growth or development, had ever failed a grade, or had four or more frequently occurring behavioral problems as described by a behavioral problems checklist. RESULTS: The measures of both child dysfunction and family relocation were independently associated with multiple sociodemographic characteristics such as poverty, race, and family structure. Frequent relocation was associated with higher rates of all measures of child dysfunction; 23% of children who moved frequently had repeated a grade vs 12% of children who never or infrequently moved. Eighteen percent of children who moved frequently had four or more behavioral problems vs 7% of children who never or infrequently moved. Use of logistic regression to control for potential confounding covariates demonstrated that children who moved frequently were 77% more likely to be reported to have four or more behavioral problems (odds ratio, 1.77; 95% confidence interval, 1.37 to 2.29) and were 35% more likely to have failed a grade (odds ratio, 1.35; 95% confidence interval, 1.06 to 1.72), but no more likely to have had delays in growth or development or a learning disorder. CONCLUSIONS: After adjusting for other covariates, frequent family relocation was associated with an increased risk of children failing a grade in school and four or more frequently occurring behavioral problems.

Adjustment Disorders↗

PubMed1984

Psychopathology of childhood.

We considered problems of assessment and taxonomy that have hindered the study of childhood disorders. Many instruments have been developed for assessing children's behavior as seen by parents, teachers, clinicians, trained observers, peers, and children themselves. Multivariate analyses of behavior problems show consistencies in the identification of a few broad-band patterns and more numerous narrow-band syndromes, despite differences in specific items comprising different instruments. Satisfactory reliability has been achieved in many instances, although the variability of children's problem behavior limits agreement among informants who see children under different conditions. Despite their disagreements, however, each informant's perspective may validly contribute to the comprehensive assessment of a child's needs. The quantitative, relativistic, and developmental aspects of children's behavior disorders argue for replacing categorical approaches to assessment and taxonomy with taxometric approaches that capitalize on quantitative methods for identifying and assessing children's behavioral problems and competencies.

Child↗

PubMed2004

A comparison of dense-to-lean and fixed lean schedules of alternative reinforcement and extinction.

Behavior-reduction interventions typically employ dense schedules of alternative reinforcement in conjunction with operant extinction for problem behavior. After problem behavior is reduced in the initial treatment stages, schedule thinning is routinely conducted to make the intervention more practical in natural environments. In the current investigation, two methods for thinning alternative reinforcement schedules were compared for 3 clients who exhibited severe problem behavior. In the dense-to-lean (DTL) condition, reinforcement was delivered on relatively dense schedules (using noncontingent reinforcement for 1 participant and functional communication training for 2 participants), followed by systematic schedule thinning to progressively leaner schedules. During the fixed lean (FL) condition, reinforcement was delivered on lean schedules (equivalent to the terminal schedule of the DTL condition). The FL condition produced a quicker attainment of individual treatment goals for 2 of the 3 participants. The results are discussed in terms of the potential utility of using relatively lean schedules at treatment outset.

Child↗

PubMed2002

Mental health service use in a community head start population.

BACKGROUND: Evaluating access to and delivery of mental health services for young children was a primary objective of the national research demonstration program Starting Early Starting Smart (SESS). OBJECTIVE: To present preliminary findings on family mental health and use of services in a community Head Start population at time of entry into a longitudinal study as part of the SESS program. SUBJECTS: Children enrolled for Head Start entry in 1998 and 1999 (N = 290; mean age, 4.3 years). Of these children, 52% were boys. METHODS: Data on demographic factors, child and parent mental health, and service use were collected from the sample at baseline. Information was gathered from primary caregivers and teachers using standardized questionnaires and structured interviews. RESULTS: There was low concordance between parent and teacher ratings of child behavior. Factors predicting behavior problems in young children varied according to whether the parent or teacher rated the child as having behavior problems. Sex (male) and home environment were associated with teachers rating the child as having a behavior problem. Parent mental health problems and problems in the parent-child relationship were associated with parent ratings. Only home environment was associated with child-focused service utilization (services that help parents manage children's behavior). CONCLUSIONS: Demographic risk factors were not associated with child behavior problems or use of mental health services in this group of Head Start children. Findings suggest that children with behavioral problems have unmet mental health service needs. Interventions designed to address both parent mental health needs and sensitivity to the developmental needs of children may increase child-focused mental health service utilization.

Child Behavior Disorders↗

PubMed1999

Long-term physical, psychological, and social functioning of children with esophageal atresia.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Little is known about the long-term psychosocial functioning of children with esophageal atresia (EA). The physical, psychological, and social functioning of children with EA was studied using standardized assessment procedures, and relations between medical and social background variables and outcome were investigated. METHODS: Subjects were 36 children (20 boys, 16 girls; mean age 10.2 years) with EA. Fourteen children had minor and 11 children had major associated congenital anomalies. According to the "Montreal" classification, eight children with major congenital anomalies who also had been dependent on artificial ventilation as newborns fell into the high-risk class. The children were subjected to an intelligence test. Parents completed standardized questionnaires concerning emotional and behavioral problems, psychosocial stress, and family functioning; children completed questionnaires concerning depression and self-esteem; and teachers completed questionnaires concerning emotional and behavioral problems. Results were compared with normative data from the general population, and correlations between background and outcome variables were computed. RESULTS: According to Desjardins' classification, 16 children had excellent, nine children had good, and four children had fair outcome. The mean intelligence quotient (IQ) of the children was 90.2, which is almost 10 points lower than the standardized norm of 100 (P < .01). High-risk children (n = 7) had a significantly lower IQ (mean IQ, 79.4; P < .05). Five times as many children (n = 8; 22%) as in the general population (4%) required special education (P < .001). More than twice as many children (30% to 35%) as in the general population (15%) showed elevated rates of emotional and behavioral problems as reported by parents and teachers (P < .02). The children did not report more negative self-esteem or more depressive symptoms than children in the general population. Children with a lower IQ reported lower scholastic competence (r = .38, P < .05) and showed more emotional and behavioral problems as reported by teachers (r = -.43, P < .05). Family functioning and levels of psychosocial stress were the same as in the general population. Children in worse functioning families showed more emotional and behavioral problems as reported by parents (r = .37, P < .05) and higher depression scores as reported by themselves (r = .47, P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: In a follow-up study using standardized assessment procedures, it was shown that children with EA have more learning, emotional, and behavioral problems than children in the general population. A high-risk group of children with major associated congenital anomalies who had been ventilated as a newborn, were at special risk for cognitive problems.

Affective Symptoms↗

PubMed2003

Development and validation of a questionnaire for measuring behavior and temperament traits in pet dogs.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate a questionnaire to assess behavior and temperament traits of pet dogs. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey of dog owners. Animals-1,851 dogs belonging to clients of a veterinary teaching hospital or members of national breed clubs and 203 dogs examined by canine behavior practitioners because of behavior problems. PROCEDURE: Owners were asked to complete a questionnaire consisting of 152 items eliciting information on how dogs responded to specific events and situations in their usual environment. Data from completed questionnaires were subjected to factor analysis, and the resulting factors were tested for reliability and validity. RESULTS: Factor analysis yielded 11 factors from 68 of the original questionnaire items that together accounted for 57% of the common variance in questionnaire item scores. Reliability was acceptable for all but 1 of these factors. Behavior problems in 200 of the 203 dogs with behavior problems could be assigned to 7 diagnostic categories that matched 7 of the factors identified during factor analysis of questionnaire responses. Dogs assigned to particular diagnostic categories had significantly higher scores for corresponding questionnaire factors than did those assigned to unrelated diagnostic categories, indicating that the factors were valid. Validity of the remaining 4 factors could not be examined because of a lack of information on dogs with behavior problems related to these factors. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Findings suggest that the resulting 68-item questionnaire is a reliable and valid method of assessing behavior and temperament traits in dogs. The questionnaire may be useful in screening dogs for behavior problems and in evaluating the clinical effects of various treatments for behavior problems.

Aggression↗

PubMed1990

Behavioral risk, emotional risk, and child abuse among adolescents in a nonclinical setting.

In this replication study of adolescents in a nonclinical setting, the prevalence of reported problem behaviors, emotions, and abuse is evaluated, and the impact of abuse on multivariate emotional and behavioral risk is assessed. A total of 3998 students (69%) in a rural midwestern community in grades 7 to 12 participated in the study. Almost 20% of the students reported some form of physical and/or sexual abuse, with more girls than boys reporting sexual abuse (chi 2 = 48.5, P less than .001). Some problem behaviors (alcohol use) and emotions (trouble sleeping, difficulty with anger) were common among all adolescents and some were strongly associated with a history of abuse (especially, considering or attempting suicide, running away, laxative use, and vomiting to lose weight). Higher emotional and behavioral risk scores among abused students were confirmed. The effects of physical and sexual abuse on risk scores were independent and additive; no interaction was observed. An interaction of gender and sexual abuse on problem behavior was observed, with problem behavior being significantly greater among sexually abused boys. The results confirm increased risk of problem behaviors and negative feelings among abused adolescents when compared with nonabused peers, and better define influences of gender and abuse type on emotional and behavioral risks.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Family relationships, parenting practices, the availability of male family members, and the behavior of inner-city boys in single-mother and two-parent families.

The primary goal of this study was to clarify if and how differences in the functioning of single-mother and two-parent families relate to the occurrence of behavioral problems among inner-city boys (ages 10-15). Data were collected on family relationships, parenting practices, the positive influence of male family members, and the severity of externalizing behavior problems. Results indicated that (1) multiple family risk factors contribute to the occurrence of behavior problems; (2) most family risk factors were generalizable to both single-mother and two-parent families; (3) although boys in single-mother families were at greater risk for developing behavior problems than boys in two-parent families, the risks associated with single motherhood were offset by a structured family environment, an effective disciplinary strategy that allowed for some degree of adolescent autonomy, and the positive involvement of a male family member; and (4) not all differences in the functioning of single-mother and two-parent families were associated with problem behavior, underscoring the importance of distinguishing between adaptive and maladaptive aspects of single-mother family functioning.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

The problem-oriented psychiatric examination of the chronic pain patient and its application to the litigation consultation.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this paper is (a) to delineate the behavior problems or complaints of chronic pain patients (CPPs) as presented in the literature and to add those behavior problems that have not yet been identified; (b) to present a semistructured psychiatric interview format that would lead to the delineation of these problems; and (c) to present a format and structure for the proposed semistructured psychiatric interview that could be utilized for the purposes of medicolegal assessment of the CPP and the reporting of that assessment to the litigation process. SETTING: Any psychiatric/psychological examination of the CPP. METHODS: The pain literature was reviewed for any research reports that specifically addressed or delineated the types of behavior problems found within the chronic pain (CP) population. These behavior problems were placed in a semistructured interview format, organized in such a way as to facilitate reporting to the litigation process if necessary. RESULTS: This semistructured psychiatric examination format is presented. Controversial problem areas in this format are discussed with appropriate references. CONCLUSIONS: CPPs are seen for the psychiatric examination with a set of behavioral problems largely determined by their medical condition, the consequences of that condition, and the social circumstances surrounding that medical condition (e.g., the litigation process). The psychiatric examination should be tailored to this special set of problems.

Accidents↗

PubMed2003

Brief report: Behavioral adjustment of siblings of children with autism.

Existing research studies have shown mixed results relating to the impact upon children of having a sibling with a disability. However, siblings of children with autism may be more at risk than siblings of children with other disabilities. In the present study, data were gathered on 22 siblings of children with autism. These children were rated by their mothers as having more behavior problems and fewer prosocial behaviors than a normative sample. Analysis of variables predicting sibling behavioral adjustment revealed that boys with siblings who have autism, and also those younger than their sibling with autism, engaged in fewer prosocial behaviors. Psychological adjustment of mothers (stress) and the child with autism (behavior problems) were not predictive of sibling behavioral adjustment.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

[Social therapy of adolescence with social behavior disorders--results and catamnesis].

The therapy program of the social therapeutical ward (STW) at the Pfalzinstitut for child and adolescent psychiatry was specially developed for adolescents with severe conduct disorders. Each adolescent receives a treatment program (e.g. role playing, group therapy, behavioral contracts) according to his individual problem behaviors. Essential part of the therapy program is the therapeutic milieu on the ward. Since the opening in 1990, 71 adolescents were treated more than 8 weeks at the STW. Each adolescent completed after admission and before discharge a personality questionnaire (HSPQ). The aggressive behavior during the first weeks after admission and the last 4 weeks before discharge respectively was rated by staff members on the overt aggression scale (OAS). 1 year posttreatment the behavior of these adolescents at home and at school/at work was assessed. 1 year follow-up data indicate that about 2/3 of the former patients showed no severe behavior problems at home and at school/at work respectively. Positive outcome was associated with changes from dissocial to prosocial attitudes, as measured by the HSPQ. Decrease in aggressive behavior during therapy, according to the OAS, was--contrary to expectations--associated with an increase in behavior problems after discharge. Obviously it is more promising to change the attitudes of conduct disordered adolescents in the prosocial direction than to change their overt aggressive behavior.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Descriptive analyses of caregiver reprimands.

We conducted descriptive observations of 5 individuals with developmental disabilities and severe problem behavior while they interacted with their caregivers in either simulated environments (an inpatient hospital facility) or in their homes. The focus of the study was on caregiver reprimands and child problem behavior. Thus, we compared the frequency of problem behavior that immediately preceded a caregiver reprimand to that immediately following a caregiver reprimand, and the results showed that the frequency of problem behavior decreased following a reprimand. It is possible that caregiver reprimands are negatively reinforced by the momentary attenuation of problem behavior, and the implications for long- and short-term effects on caregiver behavior are discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

The effects of family and neighborhood characteristics on the behavioral and cognitive development of poor Black children: a longitudinal study.

Using data from an ongoing study of 178 single-mother, Black families, this study investigates the relations among family resources (mothers' employment, income from employment, and educational attainment), maternal depressive symptoms, neighborhood quality in the preschool years and over time, and child developmental outcomes (behavior problems, broad reading, calculation) in the early school years. Results indicate that behavior problems in school-age children were associated with behavior problems early on, the child's gender, the mother's depressive symptoms and, to some extent, her employment status. However, these findings were conditioned by the mother's educational attainment and her evaluation of neighborhood problems early on. Better broad reading scores were associated with higher maternal educational attainment, especially for school-age girls of employed mothers, whereas higher calculation scores were predicted by fewer school-age behavior problems and, in the presence of higher neighborhood problems in the preschool years, mothers' higher educational attainment.

Adult↗

PubMed1982

Assessing the problematic interpersonal skills of mentally retarded individuals in a vocational setting.

The present paper reports on two studies which were designed to assess specific interpersonal situations and behaviors which interfere with a mentally retarded individual's adjustment to a vocational setting. In the first study, lists of problematic interpersonal situations and problematic behaviors were generated based on (a) interviews with prevocational teachers, school personnel, and work supervisors in a sheltered workshop setting, and (b) behavioral observations of workers in prevocational classes and a workshop setting. The list of problematic behaviors was further evaluated by work supervisors to determine the frequency and seriousness of each behavior. This information provided a basis for establishing training priorities in an interpersonal skills training program for mentally retarded individuals. In a second study, problem behavior ratings were obtained from prevocational teachers and residential supervisors for 40 mentally retarded individuals. Teachers additionally rated each individual using several standardized assessment scales (Behavior Problem Checklist, AAMD Adaptive Behavior Scale, Vocational Competency Scale). After placement in a sheltered workshop setting, problem behavior ratings were obtained from work supervisors for each individual, and the length of successful employment was assessed. Intercorrelations among measures and across raters provided initial support for the validity and reliability of the problem behavior list. Implications for future researching and training on interpersonal-vocational skills are discussed.

Aggression↗