Parents' perception of mental development and behavioural problems in 8 to 9‐year‐old children

Abstract

Larsson J-O, Lichtenstein P, Fried I, El-Sayed E, Rydelius PA. Parents' perception of mental development and behavioural problems in 8 to 9-year-old children. Acta Paediatr 2000; 89: 1469-73. Stockholm. ISSN 0803-5253A slow maturational rate may be an underlying antecedent of a psychiatric disorder. If this is correct, differences in behavioural problems could be related to the maturity level in children of the same chronological age. The aim of the study was to compare the parents' perceptions and assessments of their children's maturational status and behavioural problems. A population based on a nationwide sample from the Swedish twin-register of 8 to 9-y-old children (n = 1079) was used. The parents completed a questionnaire including their views on their child's maturity level, the Swedish version of the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) and an Attention De cit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) checklist based on the DSM-III-R criteria. Multivariate analyses showed a statistically signi cant relationship between immaturity reported by the parents and several behavioural problems reported on the CBCL: somatic complaints, anxious and depressed, social problems, thought problems, attention problems, behaviour problems and aggressive behaviour. There was also a statistically signi cant relationship between the maturity factor and the CBCL grouping of syndromes (internalizing, externalizing, total behaviour problems score) as well as between the maturity factor and ADHD. Conclusion:We conclude that at least from the parents' point of view the behaviour problems in their children may be related to maturity.

A genetic factor explains most of the variation in the psychopathic personality.

“…It should be noted that conflicting results are reported in the literature (e.g., Levy, Hay, McLaughlin, Wood & Waldman, 1996). Nevertheless, two previous reports (Larsson, Lichtenstein, Fried, El-Sayed & Rydelius, 2000;Eley, Lichtenstein & Moffitt, 2003) have shown that mean levels in emotional and behavior problems according to CBCL (Achenbach, 1991) in the current TCHAD sample is similar to what has been found in other Swedish samples. Further, the prevalence of children having eight or more ADHD symptoms in the current sample was 4.7% at age 8-9 and 3.1% at age 13-14 (Paper I), numbers that are in line with other reports from Sweden (Kardesjö & Gillberg, 1998).…”