First Evaluation of a Population-Based Screen to Detect Emotional-Behavior Disorders in Orphaned Children in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic which has left 12 million children orphaned in Sub-Saharan Africa, children are at increased risk for mental health problems. Currently, no validity data exist for any screening measure of emotional-behavior disorders in pre-adolescent children in Sub-Saharan Africa. The aims of the current study were to evaluate the construct validity of the caregiver-, teacher-, and self-report versions of the one-page Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in 466 orphans in South Africa between the ages of 7 and 11 (Mage = 9.23 years, SD = 1.33, 51.93% female) and to provide, for the first time, clinical cut-offs for this population. Findings demonstrated support for the caregiver SDQ, but not the teacher and selfreport versions. We provide clinical cut-offs, but caution their use before further research is conducted. There remains a critical need for further psychometric studies of the SDQ in the developing world.

Orphanhood by AIDS-Related Causes and Child Mental Health: A Developmental Psychopathology Approach

“…AO showed more conduct and delinquency problems in South Africa [12], but were no different from other-orphans in Ghana [60]. In a rare study examining mental health problems among 7–11 year olds [61], exceptionally high rates of externalizing problems, especially ADHD were noted for AO compared with non-AO. Moreover, certain risky sexual behaviors, such as sexual debut [20], unprotected sex [31], and transactional sex [31,54], were reported as higher among AO adolescents than other-orphans and non-orphans.…”

Adjustment of a Population of South African Children of Mothers Living With/and Without HIV Through Three Years Post-Birth

“…The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (40) is a 25-item maternal interview which reports prosocial and difficult child behaviors. This measure has been previously shown to have both high internal and external validity on samples in the United States, as well as among South Africans (41-43). …”

Assessing the Value of and Contextual and Cultural Acceptability of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in Evaluating Mental Health Problems in HIV/AIDS Affected Children

“…The teachers expressed the need for additional professional services such as psychologists and social workers to whom they could refer children in need; specialised facilities to treat and support the children, especially those most affected; assistance to households to be able to cope with the social pressures placed on them and the children living there; and support and training for the teachers themselves to be able to assist directly the children in their classrooms with their social and mental health problems as appropriate. As indicated in Sharp et al (2014), the needs of this community are very high, and will take considerable resources to provide these. In the interim the SDQ does at least provide the teachers as one front line set of workers with a tool that can assist them.…”

“…This paper is nested within a larger study aimed at evaluating the psychometric properties of the SDQ for use amongst a Sotho speaking population in SA (Sharp et al, 2014). As part of the study the educators of the children who were enrolled in the study were asked to use the SDQ to assess the emotional and behavioural problems of children in their classes.…”

“…This study, from which this material was drawn as a subcomponent was aimed at evaluating the psychometric properties of the SDQ among the Sotho population (Sharp, Venta, Marais, Skinner, Lenka and Serekoane, 2014). While such an evaluation is important, it is also necessary to examine the cultural and contextual acceptability and the potential for its use in a community context (Canino and Alegria, 2008).…”