Dimensions of behavior problems in Anglo-American and Mexican-American preschool children: A comparative study.

Abstract

This study compared the factor structure of a modified Behavior Problem Checklist for groups of Mexican-American (MA) and Anglo-American preschool children from low-socioeconomic-class families. Of the five factors extracted for each group, only the Anxiety-Withdrawal dimension exhibited strong cross-cultural similarity. Two other MA factors, Distractible-Hypoactive and Anxious-Negativism, were interpretable within the framework of MA culture. These results suggest that emergent classification systems should allow for cultural variation in symptom expression.Spanish-speaking Spanish-surnamed children under age 18 are the second largest group of minority children in the United States. Among these children, Mexican Americans (MAs) are the most numerous subgroup (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1978). Compared to Anglos, MA children are exposed to more stressors, such as belonging to large, low-income, single-parent families that move frequently (Padilla & Ruiz, 1973; U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1978), which increase their vulnerability to behavior problems. However, the ethnocentric nature of the mental health system is an important barrier to full use of mental health services by MA families (Acosta, 1979; Ban-era, 1978;Trevino, Bruhn, & Bunce, 1979). In order to help reduce this ethnocentricity, cultural influences should be taken into account in the formation of diagnostic-classification systems (e.g., Achenbach & Edelbrock, 1978;Quay, 1979).Previous cross-cultural studies of children's behavior problems have employed one of two strategies. In the first, the factor pattern obtained from one ethnic group, either

Factors affecting nightmares in children: parents’ vs. children’s ratings

“…Most of the studies investigating the relationship between trait anxiety or psychopathological symptoms, however, are based on data obtained from the parents (cf. [1,2,6,[20][21][22]25]). Mindell and Barrett [23], for example, demonstrated that the relationship between trait anxiety and nightmare frequency was only present in the data reported by the children but not in the data reported by the parents; a finding that might be associated with the underestimation of nightmare occurrence in parents.…”

Gender differences in the relation between mothering behaviors and child-behavior problems among Hispanic preschoolers.

“…Of the few previously published studies on behavior problems during early childhood among Hispanic children, only two involved relatively large samples (e.g., more than 60 participants) (Ispa et al, 2004; O’Donnell et al, 1982), and only three (Gamble & Modry-Mandell, 2008; Ispa et al, 2004; La Roche et al, 1995) utilized a longitudinal design. There is a clear need for more information on problem behavior development in this rapidly growing demographic group.…”

Mmpi Differences among Mexican-American Male and Female Psychiatric Inpatients

“…, symptom rates) have been consistently reported in the literature for Mexican-Americans (e.g., Fabrega, Rubel, & Wallace, 1967;Meadow & Stoker, 1965;Meadow, Stoker, & Zurcher, 1967;O'Donnell, Stein, Machabanski, & Cress, 1982;Stoker & Meadow, 1974;Touliatos & Lindholm, 1976;Trevino & Bruhn, 1977;Wignall & Koppin, 1967). Sex-related differences have also been reported on standard epidemiological measures of psychopathology (e.g., Golding & Karno, 1988;Roberts & Roberts, 1982;Vega, Kolody, & Warheit, 1985;Vega, Warheit, Buhl-Auth, & Meinhardt, 1984;Warheit, Vega, Auth, & Meinhardt, 1985).…”