Effects of problem-solving interventions on aggressive behaviours among primary school pupils in Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Aggressive patterns of behavior often start early in childhood, and tend to remain stable into adulthood. The negative consequences include poor academic performance, disciplinary problems and encounters with the juvenile justice system. Early school intervention programs can alter this trajectory for aggressive children. However, there are no studies evaluating the feasibility of such interventions in Africa. This study therefore, assessed the effect of group-based problem-solving interventions on aggressive behaviors among primary school pupils in Ibadan, Nigeria. Methods:This was an intervention study with treatment and wait-list control groups. Two public primary schools in Ibadan Nigeria were randomly allocated to an intervention group and a waiting list control group. Teachers rated male Primary five pupils in the two schools on aggressive behaviors and the top 20 highest scorers in each school were selected. Pupils in the intervention school received 6 twice-weekly sessions of group-based intervention, which included problem-solving skills, calming techniques and attribution retraining. Outcome measures were; teacher rated aggressive behaviour (TRAB), self-rated aggression scale (SRAS), strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ), attitude towards aggression questionnaire (ATAQ), and social cognition and attribution scale (SCAS). Results:The participants were aged 12 years (SD = 1.2, range 9-14 years). Both groups had similar socio-demographic backgrounds and baseline measures of aggressive behaviors. Controlling for baseline scores, the intervention group had significantly lower scores on TRAB and SRAS 1-week post intervention with large Cohen's effect sizes of 1.2 and 0.9 respectively. The other outcome measures were not significantly different between the groups post-intervention. Conclusions:Group-based problem solving intervention for aggressive behaviors among primary school students showed significant reductions in both teachers' and students' rated aggressive behaviours with large effect sizes. However, this was a small exploratory trial whose findings may not be generalizable, but it demonstrates that psychological interventions for children with high levels of aggressive behaviour are feasible and potentially effective in Nigeria.

The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in Africa: a scoping review of its application and validation

“…Seven studies (12.9%) employed 2 SDQ versions [ 29 , 32 , 40 , 42 , 43 , 47 , 65 ]. Thirty-one studies (57.4%) used only one version of the SDQ, of which 22 used the SDQ-S [ 26 , 30 , 34 , 35 , 37 – 39 , 41 , 45 , 46 , 53 , 55 , 56 , 58 , 60 , 62 , 64 , 69 – 71 , 75 , 78 ], four the SDQ-T [ 25 , 27 , 36 , 59 ] and five the SDQ-P [ 33 , 48 , 61 , 67 , 68 ] (see Table 2 for summary of results by SDQ versions). In the remaining 12 articles (22.2%), three used only the peer and conduct problem subscales from the SDQ self-report version [ 28 , 31 , 77 ], one used only the peer and emotional problem subscales [ 66 ], while a further two articles used only the conduct subscale of the self-report SDQ [ 52 , 54 ].…”

“…The SDQ was used to examine internalising and externalising problems of children and adolescents in Africa in 21 of 54 studies. Some of the internalising disorders included emotional problems [ 27 , 32 , 36 , 51 , 59 , 62 ], anxiety disorders [ 40 ], depression [ 43 , 60 ], psychological functioning and mental health in homeless youth [ 53 ], orphans and vulnerable children exposed to maltreatment and stigma [ 44 , 47 , 55 , 57 ], war-abducted adolescents [ 30 ], psychological well-being as it relates to parental migration [ 56 , 70 ] and lack of parenting support [ 30 ]. Externalising problems examined included hyperactivity/impulsivity [ 27 ], behavioural problems [ 27 , 32 , 36 , 51 , 59 , 62 ], effects of corporal punishment on mental health and educational outcomes [ 46 , 75 ], antisocial behaviour and substance use [ 52 ], and caregiver association with substance use and mental health [ 58 ].…”

Controlled clinical trial of teacher-delivered Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for adolescents with clinically diagnosed depressive disorder in Nigeria

“…This figure was increased to 20 in each group to account for potential attrition in the course of the study. Previous intervention studies in this region have shown that a sample of 20 in each group is adequate to idenitfy the level of difference hypothesized in this study (Abdulmalik et al, 2016;Bella-Awusah et al, 2016). Students were excluded if; their teachers identified them as having learning difficulties, they disclosed past or current history of treatment for a psychiatric disorder, they answered positive to item 9 on the BDI (presence of suicidal thoughts), or they scored 29 or above on the BDI which is suggestive of severe depressive disorder.…”

Social and Emotional Education and Emotional Wellness: A Cultural Competence Model for Black Boys and Teachers

“…Based on the well-established evidence of social information processing deficits seen in children with antisocial behaviors (Ani & Grantham-McGregor, 1998;Dodge, 1980), the third author of this chapter and his colleagues in Nigeria developed a group-based psychological intervention to support aggressive primary school children with social and emotional problems. This program was tested in a controlled trial in primary schools in Ibadan, Nigeria (Abdulmalik et al, 2016), which showed significant reductions in both teacher-and student-rated aggressive behaviors. This study suggests that impairments associated with poor emotional and social literacy are observed among children across cultures and in different countries with varying socio-economic profiles.…”